Death of 3-year-old girl rocks Granville

Peoria Journal Star, The (IL)

Author: SARAH OKESON

GRANVILLE - Jordan Cain was a quiet, fragile-seeming 3-year-old who lived with her two brothers in a white, one-story ranch home in Putnam County and liked to play with her doll.

Jordan died at 7:35 a.m. Saturday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center during surgery after suffering what officials would describe only as multiple injuries.

The boyfriend of the child's aunt was being held Saturday night at the Marshall County Jail pending formal charges in connection with the child's death. The Illinois State Police Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are investigating the death.

Peoria County Chief Deputy Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said police were called to Jordan's home at 1132 E. Main St. at 11:10 p.m. Friday. Jordan was taken to St. Margaret's Hospital in Spring Valley and was brought to St. Francis about 3 a.m.

Illinois State Police and Granville Police Chief Kevin Moore would not release any information Saturday about the child's death.

But Putnam County State's Attorney James Mack said Matthew Archer, 24, was being held at the Marshall County Jail in connection with the death. Formal charges are expected to be filed today.

Neighbors said the little girl and her two brothers had been cared for by their aunt and Archer. They said they had seen no signs of abuse.

"She was a fragile-looking one," neighbor Rhonda Toedter said. "The kids came over and played. We had just gotten a trampoline last summer. It's a small community. Everybody knows everybody, mostly. But you never know what goes on behind closed doors."

Granville is a small Putnam County village of about 1,400.

"This is a town where you leave the keys in the car," said Eric Toedter, a member of the Village Board. "It (serious crime) doesn't happen here."

Neighbor Randy Borio said Jordan, who was nicknamed "Beans," was cared for by her aunt and the aunt's boyfriend, whom he knew only as Janice and Matt. He said the young couple tried to set structure for the children with an 8 p.m. bedtime and were quiet neighbors.

"How many kids that age would do what they did?" Borio asked. "Take in your sister's kids and raise them. There was nothing out of the ordinary that we saw. I don't want to be the guy out front talking to CNN saying I don't believe it was him, but I don't believe it was him."