2 arrested in shooting death of Rock Island man

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By Thomas Geyer | Wednesday, December 21, 2005 12:32 AM CST | () comments

A parolee from the Illinois Department of Corrections and another man once convicted for delivering illicit drugs were arrested Tuesday in connection with the weekend shooting death of 24-year-old Juan Duarte of Rock Island.

Willie D. Orr, 25, and Charles A. Benton, 27, aka Charles Benton-Bey, both of Rock Island, are charged with first-degree murder, said Rock Island police Sgt. James Chadwick. Duarte’s body was found at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the 2500 block of 8½ Avenue. He died of a single gunshot wound, police said.

Orr was paroled one year to the day Saturday after spending almost 14 months in the Lawrence Correctional Center. He was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2003 after pleading guilty to a charge of residential burglary. He also was sentenced to four years in prison in January 1999 after his sentence of probation for a 1998 vehicle theft conspiracy conviction was revoked.

In addition, Orr was sentenced to 30 months on probation in January 1999 after being convicted of a charge of manufacturing or delivering between 1-15 grams of cocaine. His probation was terminated in 2002 as unsatisfied.

Benton served four years on probation, from 1998 to 2002, after being convicted of manufacturing or delivering between 30-500 grams of marijuana and manufacturing or delivering between 1-15 grams of cocaine. His probation was terminated as unsatisfied in 2002.

Orr and Benton were being held without bond Tuesday night in the Rock Island County Jail.

Thomas Geyer can be contacted at

(563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.