Gary D. Lee, 30, is being held in Memphis, Tenn., where he was taken into custody by Memphis Police at 10 p.m. Sunday after allegedly stabbing and killing Ellen Drake, an SIUC alumni and Carbondale resident.

This is the fourth apparent homicide in Carbondale within a year.

A relative found Drake stabbed to death in the living room of her Carbondale home early Sunday morning. Jackson County Sheriff Bill Kilquist said evidence made it clear that a murder occurred because of the severity of the wounds.

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Police arrived at Drake’s home about 3 a.m. Sunday after receiving a 911 call from an undisclosed caller. Police released no information about the caller.

The autopsy, performed Sunday afternoon, revealed that Drake died late Friday or early Saturday of multiple stab wounds.

Police said that it appeared that Lee and Drake had prior contact. Kilquist, however, would not comment on the nature of the contact or what evidence suggested that.

Lee was apprehended with the help of Cellular One, which was able to trace calls that police said he made from a phone stolen from Drake’s house.

Some of the other items that were stolen have been found in various Carbondale homes. Kilquist would not comment how the items were found.

Kilquist also would not comment on what other evidence links Lee to the murder other than the alleged phone call made from Drake’s cellular phone and that Lee was driving Drake’s 1998 Toyota Camry when he was arrested.

Kilquist said that while items stolen from Drake’s house were found in other Carbondale homes and there were other people in the car with Lee when he was apprehended, no one else has been charged yet.

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Lee has a criminal history and has spent time in the Illinois State Penitentiary, but Kilquist would not disclose why.

Lee is being held at a $1 million bond in Memphis until he waives extradition. If he does not waive extradition, police will request a governor’s extradition, which could take up to two months.