A Rockford man already sitting in the Winnebago County Jail on a separate murder charge is now facing a second first-degree murder count, this one tied to the 2022 shooting death of a 56-year-old woman inside her own home. Mario Perkins, 37, is accused of killing Tracy Morell, who was shot in the 3500 block of Green Dale Drive more than four years ago.
According to the Rockford Police Department, Perkins has been charged with first-degree murder in Morell's death, as reported by MyStateline. Police officers responded to reports of shots fired and a possible shooting victim, per the same report, and found Morell suffering from an apparent gunshot wound inside the residence. She was pronounced dead a short time later.
The shooting happened late at night on April 25, 2022, according to WIFR, which reported Morell was pronounced dead at the scene. Rockford News First notes that Morell died after being hit by a bullet while inside her home, and that the house had been struck several times by gunfire, a detail also confirmed by MyStateline's account of the residence being hit multiple times by gunfire.
A Years-Long Gap Before Charges Were Filed
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, uncertainty lingered over whether anyone would be held responsible. The Rockford Register Star reported at the time that police had not indicated whether anyone was in custody in connection with the shooting. It would take years before Rockford police detectives identified Perkins as a suspect after investigating the case, per the report from the station.
Perkins already has an extensive record in Winnebago County courts. He was convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in both 2011 and 2013, and was convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in 2017, according to the station's report. Those prior cases predate the Morell investigation but illustrate a long history of firearm-related offenses tied to his name.
Already Held in a Separate Murder Case
Perkins was not a free man when the new murder charge was filed. He is currently held in the Winnebago County Jail on unrelated charges stemming from a separate, still-open murder case involving Charles Ghoulson, according to the station's report. Perkins and Edmond Lilly were identified as suspects in that pending case, which remains unresolved.
The timing and underlying circumstances of a reported 20-year prison sentence tied to Perkins' name have been described differently across available reporting. One account states he was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm in a drive-by shooting that injured two people. A separate report from WIFR states that Perkins, then 36, was sentenced to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, in a case tied to a June 2022 shooting. WIFR reported Perkins pleaded guilty to both charges in June 2025.
Details of the Earlier Chestnut Street Shooting
That separate case centered on a June 8, 2022 shooting on Chestnut Street. WIFR reported investigators said at least 31 shots were fired and that multiple people were reportedly inside the homes at the time of the shooting. It is a different incident from the Green Dale Drive shooting that killed Morell, though both unfolded within weeks of each other in 2022.
Conflicting Reports on Perkins' Next Court Date
Reporting also diverges on when Perkins is next due in court for the Morell murder charge. Rockford News First reported that Perkins was expected to appear in court on Wednesday, while MyStateline's reporting states he is scheduled to return to court on December 4. Rockford police have not released additional details on the evidence supporting the murder charge or on how detectives ultimately connected Perkins to the Green Dale Drive shooting.
