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‘We might get some justice’: Daughter speaks after cold case murder arrest in Crawford County

Illinois State Police make arrest more than a decade after Norman England’s death

CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ill. (WTHI) - Illinois State Police arrested a Flat Rock man Friday on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2014 death of 74-year-old Norman England.

Matthew Miller, 46, was taken into custody July 25 at the Crawford County Courthouse. He is currently being held in Crawford County Jail.

Connection to 2014 burglary arrest

Miller was previously arrested Aug. 25, 2014, on a residential burglary charge connected to a break-in that occurred Aug. 20, 2014. England was killed the following day, Aug. 21, 2014, while house sitting at the same home. The home belonged to England’s son, who was out of town at the time.

Hagen said her parents had been looking after her brother’s home while he was in the process of moving out of state.

“He was at my brother’s house, because my mom and dad had been taking care of my brother’s house because he was moving out of state and so they went over and found that the house had been broken into,” Hagen said.

Crawford County Sheriff William Rutan said the two cases are distinct.

“He was sent to prison on a residential burglary charge because we had enough evidence to prove that case. The murder case, which he is now being charged for, is a separate case,” Rutan said.

Family reaction

England’s daughter, Amanda Hagen, said she learned of her father’s death after he did not return home the following day.

“Dad went over there that evening, and I talked to him at about 10 o’clock that night about something and then he didn’t come home the next day,” Hagen said.

Hagen remembered her father as a fixture in his family and community.

“My dad, he was a wonderful guy, he was sweet,” Hagen said. “My mom and dad had been married for 55 years when he passed away. He was at church every Sunday, he took the grandkids fishing, he was just a great guy.”

Hagen said the earlier burglary arrest had raised her hopes at the time, she told News 10 back in 2014 that she believed Miller was involved.

“It was very frustrating because whenever they did make the arrest for the robbery, we thought ‘oh that’s some good news maybe that he did, that there was something else that he had done,’” she said. “It’s kind of overwhelming that they did arrest him now for the murder since he was arrested for the robbery.”

Hagen said her mother, who died two years ago after a short illness, did not live to see the arrest.

“I just wish that my mom was here, she died two years ago after a short illness and so I hate that she didn’t have that closure,” Hagen said. “But I am certainly glad now that we have that coming up now, that we might get some closure on this case, that we might get some justice for what happened because he didn’t deserve that.”

Sheriff’s office response

Rutan said the case has stayed with him since he took office. England was killed four months before Rutan began his tenure.

“It’s been a long time coming, it’s been going on for just shy of 12 years,” Rutan said. “I’m glad that it’s getting to a point where we can get it in the court and decide with the jury if we’ve got enough information for a conviction.”

Rutan credited the partnership between his office and Illinois State Police as key to the investigation.

“It’s amazing that we work as well together as we do,” Rutan said. “They kept us in the loop of everything going on, and we provided them with all the information that we had and any support that we could provide, we made sure we did.”

Rutan said cold cases remain a priority for his office.

“These cases stay in the back of our heads for a long time, and we don’t give up,” he said.