Shirley Dugger Allen was born in 1946 and lived in Christian County, Illinois. She was a nurse who cared for her family, as well as others. She also lived a secluded and isolated life filled with depression and emotional instability. On September 22, 1997, after losing her husband and being accused of neglecting her mental well-being, the Christian County Sheriff’s Department attempted to serve Ms. Allen an involuntary commitment order. This was the beginning of a 39-day standoff between Ms. Allen and the Illinois State Police (ISP), the longest single barricaded subject incident in history. The hostage situation elicited criticism from both law enforcement officials and the public. Many questioned the decision of the Illinois State Police to allow the hostage situation to go on for over a month. The case raised questions from legal to tactical points of view, as well as from a human interest standpoint. The case study stated that the ISP followed a well-known axiom of hostage negotiation: the longer the situation goes on, the more likely it will be resolved without injury or loss of life. It was suggested that negotiators and incident commanders could learn from the Illinois experience. In particular, when resolving a tenuous situation successfully, there may still be criticism.