Former Clinton County Sheriff Jerry Dall dies at 77

Jerry Dall, who was elected five times as Clinton County’s sheriff but also served time in prison for the rape of an ex-wife, died Sunday.

He was 77.

Dall, formerly of Carlyle, was elected sheriff in 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982 and 1986.

Current Sheriff Doug Maue, who joined the department in 1981, described Dall as a “Buford Pusser-type sheriff.”

“He was firm, I guess you would say,” Maue said. “He was firm but fair. He believed in taking care of the citizens of Clinton County. If you got out of line, you had to talk to Jerry about it.”

Among his honors, Dall earned a commendation for helping to rescue stranded duck hunters from an icy Carlyle Lake. At one point he served as president of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association.

“He was a good sheriff. I think a lot of people respected him,” Maue said.

Dall also was a good politician, handily defeating most opponents. Candidates for other offices frequently sought his endorsement. In his political heyday, the county was practically covered in “Re-elect Jerry Dall” bumper stickers.

“There’s a good chance that if you get on some of the backroads, you’ll still see some of those stickers,” Maue said.

Jim Hummert, a retired Clinton County detective, said Dall’s pet peeves were burglars.

“If there was a burglary in Clinton County, he took it personal. He would constantly want updates on investigations. A lot of bad guys went to jail when he was sheriff,” Hummert said.

Hummert said Dall was tough but still compassionate.

“He helped many families when their children strayed from the law,” Hummert said. “He never backed down from any situation. I was very fortunate to have worked for him. Just a nice guy who loved his community.”

The county was rocked in 1988 by news that Dall, then 50, had been arrested in Springfield on charges of raping an ex-wife. Police said Dall showed up at the woman’s Springfield home at 12:30 a.m. and told her: “I came here to kill you tonight.”

The woman told police she was handcuffed, gagged and raped before she managed to escape. Police then spotted Dall running along a nearby street.

Dall resigned shortly afterward, saying the case was preventing him from doing his job.

A Sangamon County jury in 1989 found Dall guilty of home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault. He later was sentenced to nine years in prison.

At trial, Dall testified that he and his ex-wife had consensual sex. He said his ex-wife fabricated the allegation of being attacked in order to gain leverage in a child-custody dispute.

Dall died at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. Nordike Funeral Home in Carlyle is in charge of arrangements.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Former Clinton County Sheriff Jerry Dall dies at 77."