04/23/2026
We are sadden to hear news of E.P.P.D., Detective Bob Vester!! Our thoughts & Prayers with his family, our brothers & sisters in blue as well as all his friends! 💙🖤
🚔 Rest Easy, Detective Bob Vester 🚔
East Peoria lost one of its finest this week.
Detective Bob Vester of the East Peoria Police Department passed away after suffering a massive heart attack. He was only 41 years old.
Bob dedicated his life to his communities… as a deputy, a detective, and a K9 handler. He and his K9 partner, Flits, served side by side for years. When Flits crossed the rainbow bridge in 2019, his wife Kayla wrote that she slept easier at night knowing Bob had Flits with him. Now… they’re together again.
A large law enforcement presence gathered outside OSF Saint Francis Medical Center as the community came together to honor one of their own. The blue line showed up. Because that’s what family does.
Bob leaves behind his wife Kayla and their two sons. He was described by colleagues as someone who was loved and respected by everyone who knew him and worked alongside him.
41 years old. A husband. A father. A protector. A partner.
The East Peoria Police Department and the entire Central Illinois law enforcement community are mourning a tremendous loss today.
Rest easy, Detective Vester. You and Flits are reunited now. 🐾❤️
We send our deepest condolences to Kayla, the boys, and the entire EPPD family.
