The Dardeen Family Murders: A Small-Town Slaughter

Location: Ina, Illinois

Date: November 17–18, 1987

Victims: Keith Dardeen (29), Elaine Dardeen (30), Peter Dardeen (3), and newborn daughter

Status: Unsolved

🏡 Background: A Quiet Life in Rural Illinois

Keith and Elaine Dardeen lived a modest, peaceful life in the rural town of Ina, Illinois in Jefferson County. They were a loving, churchgoing couple, devoted to their 3-year-old son Peter and expecting a second child.

Keith worked at an oil plant, and the family lived in a small trailer off Route 37. Money was tight, but the couple was known for being warm, careful, and private — especially cautious after a recent uptick in violent crimes in the area.

In fact, things had gotten so unsettling that Keith was reportedly considering moving his family away from the area altogether.