Murder Victim Sidnee Stephens' Half-Sister Arrested for Obstruction
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The half-sister to a murdered Pinckneyville teen has been arrested for obstructing the investigation into Sidnee Stephens' death in July.
The arrest begs the question did Dakota Wall, 18, have knowledge that her half-sister had been killed before the outset of the investigation, even if she wasn't involved. Perry County Sheriff Keith Kellerman said he can't comment on the arrest, but adds his department believes there is clear evidence that Wall intentionally impeded the investigation of the task force and the state's attorney's office.
On her 18th birthday Tuesday, Dakota Wall of Pinckneyville was charged with obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony in Perry County.
Dakota Wall's arrest stems from the ongoing murder investigation of Stephens.
Information for the charge of obstructing justice states that Dakota Wall "knowingly furnished false information to Perry County law enforcement personnel as to her knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the murder of Sidnee Stephens, in that she told law enforcement personnel that she had no knowledge of those circumstances at a time when she knew, or was informed, of the circumstances surrounding the murder of Sidnee Stephens."
Wall was incarcerated in the Perry County Jail after not posting bond.
Bond is set at $50,000.
Three suspects are charged with first degree murder in the girl's death--Carl Dane, 18; James Glazier, 17; and Robbie Mueller, 15. All face a jury trial in January.
A Grand Jury has been convened--if needed--to consider new evidence or new indictments in the investigation. A Grand Jury is made available to the court system for 18 months, but investigators say that while the jury may be needed in the future it has not been called upon so far.
Sidnee's body was found in a creek west of Du Quoin on July 29.