Illinois Couple Abducted, Suspect Charged With Home Invasion, Kidnapping: UPDATE

MORRISON, IL — After a couple was allegedly abducted in rural western Illinois Wednesday, a man who led them on a high-speed chase that ended in a wreck has been charged with four felonies.

Chad C. Schipper, 40, of Geneseo, Illinois, remained under 24-hour surveillance the hospital Thursday.

The Whiteside County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday Schipper was being held on a $1 million bond and now faces charges of:

• Home invasion with a firearm
• Aggravated kidnapping, ransom
• Aggravated kidnapping, concealing identity
• Aggravated kidnapping, armed with a firearm

Sheriff Kelly Wilhelmi said his office began to look into the case after receiving a report around from First Trust & Savings Bank in Albany around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday someone had withdrawn money from the account of a missing married couple, Larry and Constance Van Oosten of Erie, Illinois.

Early Tuesday morning, officers found Schipper's vehicle and tried to pull it over, leading to a high speed chase that ended in a crash at 4:45 a.m., the Sherrif announced at a Thursday morning press conference.

After the chase, at approximately 5 a.m., the VanOostens were located in rural Geneseo, treated and released, according to Sauk Valley Media.

"[The VanOostens] are just very good, very easy going people," Gary Hansen, of Erie, told the Clinton Herald.

There was no additional information disclosed Friday about any possible motive for the kidnapping, other than the initial statement from the FBI which described the abduction as potentially financially motivated.