MONROE — A death investigation in rural Lafayette County is now homicide probe and police have already made an arrest of a 30-year-old suspect in Illinois.

After a 911 call, police began to investigate the death of the elderly victim in early March at her home in the 5000 block of Carr Factory Road in the Village of Benton.

The victim, authorities said Thursday, is Lynne I. Montgomery, 83, of Benton, Wisconsin. 

“The extensive and ongoing investigation of this suspicious death has resulted in the arrest of Shannon C. Bussan (30) of rural Elizabeth, Illinois,” police said in a statement. “On Wednesday, March 15th, Bussan was taken into custody at the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office in Galena, Illinois, with the cooperation of the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).”

Bussan, police said, was arrested, apparently without incident, on initial charges of first-degree intentional homicide and is currently in the Jo Daviess County Jail, pending extradition to Lafayette County.  

“The Lafayette County District Attorney’s Office on March 15th, filed a criminal complaint along with an arrest warrant for Bussan with the Lafayette County Circuit Court prior to Bussan’s arrest in Galena, Illinois,” the statement added. 

Police didn’t have any reason initially to suspect foul play in the woman’s death. But on February 28, the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by suspicious family members and a sheriff’s deputy was dispatched back to the home, police said at the time. 

Search warrants of the defendant’s 2018 Ford Explorer and phone also were issued prior to the arrest.

A motive for the killing is still unclear, as is the relationship between the victim and alleged perpetrator. Bussan has no apparent criminal record in either Jo Daviess County Illinois or in Lafayette County, according to court records.

According to the victim’s obituary, Montgomery and her family farmed in Lafayette County for many years. 

“Their dream was to own a farm in Wisconsin, so in 1973 they purchased the farm in Benton,” said the obituary. 

She also was active in the United Methodist Church there. After taking nursing classes, she also worked at Manor Care in Platteville for 15 years.