Convicted Toddler Killer, Rapist Released On Parole

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — A 47-year-old man convicted of raping and murdering a toddler in Elgin has been released on parole and will be living at a home in unincorporated Crystal Lake.

Cayce M. Williams killed 20-month-old Quortney Kley, his then-girlfriend’s daughter, according to a Lake & McHenry Scanner Report. Williams’ girlfriend at the time, Margaret Morgan, was at work on February 25, 1997, and the man was tasked with babysitting Quortney and her sister.

Williams served half of his 48-year prison sentence and was released from the Dixon Correctional Center on Thursday — the 24th anniversary of little Quortney 's death — after serving half of his original 48-year sentence. He was convicted of murder and predatory criminal sex assault charges in Kane County.

Williams sexually assaulted Quortney and beat her to death, then took the toddler to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Williams' new home is located at 360 Briarwood Drive, in a densely populated neighborhood of single-family homes a half-mile from West Elementary School. There are several parks and trails in the area.

Crystal Lake and Lakewood residents have taken to Facebook to voice their disgust over Williams residing here. A Change.org petition calling for Williams to be moved to a new home in a new community has racked up more than 550 signatures in the past day.

The parole of another infamous killer — Carl Reimann, who shot five people, including a teenager, to death at a Yorkville restaurant in 1972 — faced similar reaction when he was paroled in 2018. Reimann was moved to different locations — getting removed several times due to the objections of neighbors, before he was released in 2019. In 2020, he was found to be noncompliant with his parole.

"I understand the residents' concerns with Williams’ release into our community," McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim said. "I want to reassure the residents that we proactively and continually verify all of our registered sexual offenders' information to ensure that they comply with the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act."

According to a news release, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office notified the local school district regarding Williams' criminal convictions and his registered address.

Under Illinois law, a registered sex offender is not allowed to knowingly loiter within 500 feet of a school building while persons under the age of 18 are present in the building or on the grounds. He also can not knowingly reside within 500 feet of a school, playground, child care institution or a home daycare.