MORRISON – Tuesday, Russell Reed’s family heard the word they had been waiting more than four years to hear: Guilty.

A Whiteside County jury took just more than two hours to find Reed’s killer, Nicholas T. Sheley, guilty of first-degree murder, home invasion and residential burglary.

“The gratification is that we were able to obtain justice for the family of Mr. Reed, even though that justice was delayed far longer than we would have liked to have seen it delayed,” Whiteside County State’s Attorney Gary Spencer said.