DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) – More than a decade after the killing of 17-year-old Caleb Witty, his family is getting some closure. The cold case involving his death is heating up.

“My first emotion more than anything was curiosity of why, why now,” Jamie Binkley, the stepmother of Witty’s sister, said. “What made someone now after all this time?”

Decatur police announced Wednesday they arrested two people: Michael Wallace of Decatur and Bobby Gipson of Tennessee — who used to live in Decatur.

“These arrests mark a crucial step towards justice for Caleb Witty and bring a measure of solace to his family and friends who have endured years of uncertainty and grief,” Shane Brandel, Decatur’s chief of police, said during a press conference Wednesday.

The case goes back to August 4, 2011. That day, Witty and his 14-year-old sister left the Decatur Celebration. That’s when police say the two suspects tried to rob them. Witty tried to protect his sister and was shot twice.

“That’s the last thing that she knows is that her brother is her protector and is still her protector,” Binkley said.

Binkley said she didn’t think the case would be solved. They connected with other families who went a long time without getting any closure.

“And then a couple of years, not very long ago, when they got whatever information that they had got, I thought, ‘Well, maybe,’” Binkley said. “That was the first time, I will say that I had any sort of hope.”

Witty’s father, Richard Kelsey, said his son would appreciate the work of law enforcement and others involved in the case to bring the two suspects to justice.

“And now it’s just to find out why they did it and how could they do something like this, and to the community, don’t …  give up on you know, if anything like this happens that there are dedicated people that will find out who would do something like this,” Kelsey said.

The Decatur Police Department said they aren’t looking for any additional suspects at this time and that the investigation will continue.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.