Romeo Nance's Girlfriend Charged After West Acres Road Slayings

JOLIET, IL – The 21-year-old girlfriend of suspected mass murderer Romeo Nance, Kyleigh Cleveland-Singleton, was taken to the Will County Jail on Wednesday night on felony charges of obstructing justice.

Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English issued a statement announcing:

During the course of the investigation of the discovered shooting deaths of five people at 2212 West Acres Road and two people at 2225 West Acres Road on Jan. 22, detectives identified Kyleigh Cleveland-Singleton as the girlfriend of suspect Romeo Nance, as well as the mother of Nance’s 3-year-old boy.

Prior to English's press release, Joliet Patch learned from someone familiar with the neighborhood that Joliet police believe that Cleveland was inside the house Sunday afternoon at 2225 West Acres Road at the time of the two killings at that residence. The two people slain at that house were Tameka Nance, 47 years old, the mother of Romeo Nance, and William Esters II, 35 years old, Romeo Nance's uncle.

It was unclear whether Cleveland was also inside the house where Romeo Nance's sisters were killed or whether Cleveland was outside in the car, the neighborhood source advised.

English said the whereabouts of the suspect’s child were unknown on Monday afternoon after the seven bodies were found on West Acres Road.

As the Joliet police investigation progressed, detectives learned the small child may be with his mother and grandmother at a house in Plainfield.

That same Monday evening, detectives traveled to the address in the 15000 block of Joliet Road in Plainfield and located the child as well as Cleveland.

Upon locating Cleveland, police said she agreed to go to the Joliet Police Department for questioning in reference to the homicides. Following questioning of Cleveland, detectives believed she made statements to prevent the apprehension of the suspect and obstruct this investigation.

These circumstances were reviewed by the Will County State’s Attorney Office, which approved one count of obstructing justice, English relayed.

"This investigation remains active and ongoing as evidence technicians continue to process a large amount of evidence. No further information regarding this arrest will be made available at this time," English declared.

Meanwhile, the person familiar with the West Acres Road neighborhood told Joliet Patch that more criminal charges are still possible against Cleveland.

Cleveland, Joliet Patch learned this week, was responsible for coming up with $10,000 of her own money on March 10, 2023, to bail Nance out of the Will County Jail. He was taken away in handcuffs by Joliet police on Jan. 26, 2023 on a $100,000 bail, for charges of aggravated discharge of a gun, aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, reckless discharge of a gun and criminal damage to government property.

Six weeks later, Cleveland lied on the Will County records and listed herself as being Nance's sister, Joliet Patch discovered. She also listed herself as living at 2212 West Acres Road, and the person familiar with the neighborhood told Patch on Wednesday she had indeed lived at that address with Romeo Nance, the father of her child.

Will County Jail records from Wednesday night listed Cleveland as being booked into custody at 8:18 p.m. The address she gave the jail staff was the 15400 block of South Joliet, in the village of Plainfield.

More Joliet Patch Coverage:

Home Confinement, No More Jail Time For Romeo Nance's Girlfriend