Coles County Jury Finds Fairchild Guilty of Murder

A Coles County jury has found Joshua Fairchild guilty of First Degree Murder and Concealment of Homicidal Death following five days of trial.

The jury deliberated for 3-1/2 hours before returning with the guilty verdicts. Evidence revealed that the 28-year-old Fairchild stabbed his girlfriend, Cheleta Branch, multiple times in the neck, causing her death in 2021. He then concealed her body in his home in Charleston for a period of approximately two months. While the initial discovery of the 50-year-old Branch’s body and subsequent search of the crime scene was completed within a matter of hours, the investigation into large amounts of data located within various media continued for months after Fairchild's arrest and yielded significant and relevant evidence that was presented at trial. Officers and detectives with the Charleston Police Department accounted for the majority of the State’s witnesses, which included the admission of Fairchild's personal notebooks, cell phone, and recorded statement. Other partner agencies that aided in the investigation and conviction included the Coles County Coroner’s Office, the Champaign County Coroner’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Mattoon Police Department, and the Charleston Water Department.

Fairchild was found unfit to stand trial shortly after his arrest, but underwent treatment by the Illinois Department of Human Services, and was found fit in July of 2022.

Coles County State's Attorney Jesse Danley said that Fairchild is facing up to 65 years in prison and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at 1:30 p.m. on November 3.