Agencies Collaborate To Apprehend Tanner Eyler; He Now Faces Multiple Charges

JERSEY — Tanner T. Eyler, 28, was charged with multiple felonies on July 22, 2025, following events that unfolded in and around Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton this past weekend, according to Jersey County State’s Attorney Ben Goetten.

Eyler faces charges including Possession of a Firearm by a Repeat Felony Offender, a Class X felony; Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, a Class 2 felony; and Theft, a Class 3 felony. He is currently being held at the Jersey County Jail.

On Sunday, July 20, 2025, Deputy Jeff Klunk of the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office encountered Eyler near a pickup truck that had run off Scenic Drive. Eyler fled into the woods down a steep ravine as Deputy Klunk approached. Subsequent investigation revealed the pickup and an attached camper had been stolen from Missouri several days prior. Additionally, Eyler had reportedly fled from police in the East Alton area the previous evening while driving the stolen vehicle.

Following Eyler’s flight, Jersey County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Officers conducted a search of the area, aided by a drone operated by a JCSO sergeant. After hours of searching, Eyler was located sleeping in a pavilion area across from the park.

Law enforcement officers, including Deputies Klunk, Marshall Lewis, and Austin Stilts, as well as IDNR Conservation and Grafton Police Officers, approached Eyler, who fled on foot once more but was quickly apprehended. At the time of arrest, authorities said Eyler, a convicted felon, was found to be carrying a loaded handgun.

The Jersey County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to the public for their assistance following a “Be On the Lookout” alert posted on the JCSO Sheriff’s App and Facebook page, which led to multiple reports of Eyler’s whereabouts.

If convicted, Eyler faces a prison term ranging from six to 30 years.

He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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