An Illinois man has been sentenced to six decades in prison for the brutal killing of his pregnant girlfriend, a crime that shocked the community of Alton and left a young woman’s family reeling.
Deundrea Holloway, 25, received a 60-year sentence in state prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, and concealment of a homicidal death. Prosecutors said he decapitated 22-year-old Liese Dodd in her apartment on Bolivar Street in June 2022, then placed her head in a dumpster outside. Dodd was nearly eight months pregnant at the time.
The sentencing marks the end of a case that has stretched on for more than two years, delayed repeatedly by the legal process. For Dodd’s family, however, closure remains elusive. Her mother, Heidi Noel, discovered her daughter’s headless body after going to check on her when she hadn’t heard from her. Police later found Dodd’s head outside. At the time, the family had been preparing for a baby shower that was scheduled for later that month.
“She was savagely, savagely killed,” former Alton Police Chief Marcus Pulido said shortly after the murder. “Decapitated by a freaking savage monster. Her unborn child was also killed as a result of this.”
Holloway, who had been in an “on-and-off” relationship with Dodd for about two years, was not the father of the unborn baby. He was quickly arrested after the crime and eventually entered guilty pleas rather than face a trial. Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said the conviction brings certainty to the case and spares Dodd’s family the trauma of reliving her killing in court.
“For the family and loved ones of Liese, these types of issues have caused continued angst and uncertainty,” Haine said in a statement. “This guilty conviction ends that. Our hope is that this conviction and sentence provide the family and loved ones some assurance and will be a step toward healing.”
At last week’s sentencing, Dodd’s mother said she has been living with a “life sentence” of her own. “To live the remainder of my life without my beautiful, loving, sassy daughter. A life without knowing the joy of watching Liese raise my granddaughter,” Noel told the court.
Community members rallied to support the family in the wake of the crime. A GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $16,000, which helped cover funeral costs. The family later donated $5,000 to a local women’s shelter, the Oasis Women’s Center-Alton, and $2,000 to the Riverbend Humane Society, paying forward the generosity they had received.
Holloway must serve at least 52 years before he is eligible for release, meaning he will be nearly 80 years old before he can even be considered. Prosecutors say it is unlikely he will ever leave prison. For Dodd’s family, that sentence provides some measure of accountability, even as the grief of losing her—and the child she never got to meet—remains.
