Illinois man sentenced to life for murder of Monticello Fareway employee

Plea comes after judge rejects request to move murder trial

An Illinois man who last year fatally shot a Fareway employee in Monticello pleaded Tuesday to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Nathan Russell, 39, of East Dubuque, who planned to use drunkenness as a defense at trial, pleaded guilty after 6th Judicial District Judge Andrew Chappell denied his motion in April to move the trial scheduled for August out of Jones County due to pretrial publicity.

During the plea, Russell admitted to firing several shots at Aaron McAtee, 48, of Monticello, who was found around 7:29 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2023, near a loading dock outside the grocery store at 420 N. Farley St.

McAtee suffered multiple injuries and later died in hospital. Witnesses told police that the shots fired at him came from a rifle pointed at the driver's window of a black sedan with Illinois license plates, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers believed Russell was connected to the car based on interactions they had with him the night before. Monticello police issued an alert to nearby agencies to keep an eye out for the sedan and Russell.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Menard found him around 9:30 a.m. that day in Hopkinton, the complaint states. The deputy attempted to arrest Russell, but Russell did not cooperate and Menard shot and injured him. Russell was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment and was charged the following day.

Menard was later found justified in the Russell shooting.

Authorities discovered a rifle in Russell's vehicle and several shell casings indicating the weapon had been fired from inside the car, according to court documents. The black vehicle was also seen on several security cameras in the area before and immediately after the shooting.

During the investigation, Russell's parents told police that Russell stole a rifle and a crossbow from their East Dubuque home on November 3, 2023.

Judge Chappell accepted Russell's plea and sentenced him to life after hearing victim impact statements from McAtee's family members. Chappell also ordered Russell to pay $150,000 in restitution to McAtee's heirs or estate, as required by Iowa law.

Jones County Prosecutor Kristofer Lyons said in a statement that the case unfolded under the direction of the lead investigator, Special Agent Dustin Henningsen of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, who worked with Monticello Police Chief Britt Smith and the department. The Jones County Sheriff's Office and Anamosa Police Department also assisted in this case.

“The Jones County Prosecutor's Office sincerely hopes that this conviction and sentence can contribute to the healing of the entire McAtee family, but especially Kelly (Aaron's wife) and his sons,” Lyons said .

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