DANVILLE – "Substantial progress" has been made in an almost 4-year-old Danville murder case, according to Vermilion County State's Attorney Randy Brinegar.

Brinegar would not give any details Thursday regarding new developments in the case and would not indicate whether his office is any closer to filing charges.

"We are still actively investigating it and making substantial progress," he said.

Danville Public Safety Director Larry Thomason also said that the investigation continues,  with two Danville police detectives continually working on the case that began four years ago this month.

Midmorning on March 25, 2007, police found the body of 30-year-old ex-convict Rodney Pepper, formerly of Chicago, lying in the middle of a four-lane highway in front of a two-story apartment building at 1701 E. Main St. in Danville.

Soon after, they discovered the bodies of 21-year-old TaBreyon McCollough and 19-year-old Madisen Leverenz, both of Danville, inside one of the apartments in the East Main Street apartment building. Autopsies showed that all three died of gunshot wounds.

Back then, authorities would say only that the triple homicide was an isolated incident, and they were tracking down every lead.