Decatur Killer Gets 60 Years for Circle K Robbery-Murder

URBANA, Ill. – Justice, however delayed, came down hard in a federal courtroom today. Matthew J. Higgins-Vogt, 25, of Decatur, Illinois, was sentenced to a staggering 60 years in prison for his brutal role in an April 2015 armed robbery of a Decatur Circle K convenience store and the subsequent, calculated murder of 19-year-old Paige Mars. The sentence closes a dark chapter in the central Illinois city, a case riddled with greed, violence, and a desperate attempt to silence a witness.

The crime unfolded on April 3, 2015, at the Circle K located at 1685 S. Baltimore in Decatur. Higgins-Vogt, alongside his co-conspirator Kelton Snyder, stormed the store, relieving it of cash and alcohol while Snyder brandished a menacing 12-gauge shotgun. The robbery itself was brazen, but the aftermath proved far more sinister. Higgins-Vogt admitted to the crimes on October 30, 2017, years after the initial investigation began.

Paige Mars, unknowingly complicit in the initial crime as the getaway driver, soon learned of Snyder’s violent past. After questioning him, she became a liability. According to evidence presented by the government, Higgins-Vogt and Snyder feared Mars would alert law enforcement to their involvement in the Circle K robbery. Their chilling solution? Eliminate the witness. Higgins-Vogt confessed to shooting and killing Mars on April 5, 2015, a cold-blooded act designed to protect themselves.

The prosecution meticulously built its case, highlighting the calculated nature of Mars’s murder. Snyder and Higgins-Vogt specifically chose Higgins-Vogt to commit the act, believing that Snyder’s brief personal relationship with Mars would divert suspicion. This attempt at deception ultimately failed. Snyder was previously convicted by a jury in April 2016 and sentenced to life in federal prison on October 24, 2016, demonstrating the severity of their combined crimes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Bohm skillfully prosecuted the case, bringing years of investigation to a close. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Decatur Police Department, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. Higgins-Vogt has been in custody since his initial federal court appearance on February 17, 2017, following an initial arrest by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office on state charges back on April 8, 2015.

The 60-year sentence handed down today sends a clear message: in federal jurisdiction, armed robbery coupled with the premeditated murder of a witness will not be tolerated. While no sentence can bring back Paige Mars, the conviction and lengthy imprisonment of both Higgins-Vogt and Snyder offer a measure of closure to the victim’s family and the Decatur community. The Grimy Times will continue to follow federal crime trends and report on the consequences of violent acts like these.