MURPHYSBORO – A Murphysboro man was recently sentenced in Jackson County Court to 45 years in prison in the May 2024 murder of Autumn Cole.
The Jackson County State’s Attorney’s office says 33-year-old Timothy Gassel was sentenced last Thursday. He pled guilty to first-degree murder in Cole’s death in October of last year. He will have to serve the entire sentence.
Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call on May 25, 2024, about a woman being shot. The caller reported that Gassel had been arguing with Cole, and the caller’s husband had witnessed the shooting. The witness revealed that Gassel and Cole had been arguing about items from the car when Gassel was seen holding a gun in his hand before shooting Cole. Gassel fled the scene but was arrested within minutes by deputies.
Deputies took Gassel into custody and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in Cole’s death.
