Two arrests in August homicide

The victim was Ayden Paige, 18, Rochester.

Two mugshots: a man with long dreadlocks and a man with short hair, both in black shirts, each holding a booking board with an ID and date, labeled Sangamon County Sheriff’s Dept., Springfield, IL.

Sangamon County(l-r) Kristian Taylor and Joshua Tolbert are accused of killing AYden Paige on August 18, 2026

Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Nine months after the fatal shooting of a Rochester teen, two Springfield men have been indicted.

Ayden Paige, 18, died of his injuries.

Springfield police report the charges against Kristian Taylor (pictured, left), 39, and Joshua Tolbert (pictured, right), 31. In addition to first-degree murder, the charges against both men are aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, and possession of a weapon by a felon. Tolbert is also charged with unlawful use of a weapon (machine gun).

On Aug. 18, 2025, police responded to a report of a shooting just before 6 p.m. in the 2200 block of S. 14th St. Three people had been shot, though the injuries to two of them were described as non-life-threatening.

A Sangamon County grand jury returned the indictments Wednesday.

If you have further information which can help, you may contact Sangamon and Menard County Crime Stoppers at (217) 788-8427 or Springfield police at (217) 788-8311.