Peoria Mourns Heaven Wood and Her Young Son King After Tragic September 25 Deaths

 The Peoria community is mourning the reported deaths of Heaven Wood and her young son, King, following a devastating incident in Peoria County, Illinois, on Friday, September 25, 2026. What began as an early-morning response to a vehicle fire ultimately led investigators to a residence and a discovery involving the deaths of a woman and an infant. Authorities said the investigation remains active as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding what happened that morning.

According to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called shortly after 6:09 a.m. to the area of Abby Circle because of a reported vehicle fire. The investigation brought authorities to a residence in the 3500 block of Yorkshire Drive. Inside the home, deputies found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased. Two other children were found unharmed inside the residence.

Investigators determined that the vehicle involved in the fire was associated with the residence. The preliminary investigation indicated that the vehicle had been driven away from the area of the shooting before crashing. After firefighters extinguished the flames, first responders discovered a deceased infant inside the vehicle. Authorities confirmed that the infant was the child of the woman found inside the home. The deaths were being investigated as homicides, according to Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins.

Authorities identified Jeremiah Duncan, 24, as a suspect in the investigation. He was taken into custody around 12:05 p.m. Friday in the area of Molleck and Oak Crest drives by Peoria police and county deputies. The reported arrest and investigation provide important context, but the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain subject to the ongoing law-enforcement process. Authorities were also investigating whether the vehicle fire was intentionally set, adding another unresolved element to the case.

For those who knew Heaven, however, the tragedy cannot be defined only by the investigation. She was a mother whose life was connected to her children, family, friends, and loved ones. Her sudden death has left people close to her facing an absence that is difficult to comprehend. Memories of ordinary days, conversations, family moments, and the relationships she built may now become especially important as those who loved her begin navigating grief.

King’s death adds another painful dimension to the loss. His young life ended before the years of childhood that his family would have expected to share with him. There would have been opportunities to grow, learn, laugh, develop interests, and create memories with the people who loved him. For those mourning him, the reality of losing a child so young can make the tragedy especially difficult to process. His connection to Heaven also means their deaths have become inseparably linked.

The discovery of two other children unharmed adds another human dimension to the investigation and the family’s grief. While authorities continue working to determine exactly what happened, those closest to Heaven and King must confront the loss of two lives that mattered deeply to them. The wider Peoria community can offer compassion while respecting the family’s privacy and allowing investigators to establish confirmed facts. Heaven Wood and King should be remembered as people who were loved and whose absence will be deeply felt. Their names now carry memories of family, connection, and lives that mattered.