Results tagged “murder”

After 10 hours of deliberation - and one false alarm - a jury has sentenced Brian Dugan to death for the 1983 murder of Jeanine Nicarico. [Tribune]

The last three jurors and six alternates were selected in the trial of a man charged with the rape and murder of 11 South Side women in the 90s on Friday at the Criminal Courts Building, according to Chicago Breaking News.

Exactly one year ago today, the bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered inside their home on the South Side. Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found a few days after in a car on the West Side 10 miles away from his home. All three victims had been shot to death. William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia, was charged for the killings with first-degree murder, allegedly killing the three family members because he was upset that Julia was dating someone else. Balfour pleaded not guilty and is still in jail.

CLTV show host Garrard McClendon spoke out about the murder of his parents even as police have received leads that have helped them close in on two suspects in the crime. McClendon's parents, Ruby and Milton, were found dead of gunshot wounds in a south suburban forest preserve on Monday. Police later recovered the couple's car, abandoned along the Dan Ryan Expressway, and had named their Hammond, Indiana home as a crime scene. The suspects were also reportedly seen trying to sale objects stolen from the McClendon's home, leading police to suspect that the couple, one of the first black couples to move to Hammond, were targets simply because of their age and vulnerability.

A CPS student was shot and killed yesterday afternoon in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The student was identified as 17-year-old Gamaliel "Gama" Toscano, a 10th grader at Tilden High School. The shooting occurred in the 1100 block of West 47th St around 2:45 p.m. As of last night, no one was in custody in connection with the shooting. [CBS 2]

After three teens were charged yesterday in last week's beating death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert, a fourth teen was also charged: 16 year-old Eric Carson. Neighbors also held a vigil yesterday, attended by around 250 people, that got a bit heated at times. An activist going by the name Queen Sister shouted through a bullhorn, "The mayor is out fighting for the Olympics, and our youth are here fighting for their lives!"

Closing arguments will begin today in the trial of James Degorski, the second man charged and tried for the brutal 1993 murders of seven people at a Brown's Chicken restaurant in Palatine. It's expected that the jury could begin deliberations by the end of the day. The other man charged in the murders - Juan Luna - was found guilty in 2007. [WBBM, Daily Herald]

• The Chicago-Rio feud intensifies as we close in on next week's 2016 Olympics host city announcement.
• The north suburb of Bannockburn reported its first murder ever today.
• What not to do if your son's being bullied: impersonate a cop to threaten the bully.

The man who barricaded himself inside Jesse Brown VA Medical Center for several hours yesterday has been charged with the murder of his parents. Kermit Washington, 53, has been charged with two counts of murder and three counts of aggravated assault stemming from the deaths of Joe Washington, 79, and Johnnie Washington, 77. [Sun-Times]

Rosemary Komyatti, an 84-year-old inmate currently serving a 100-year sentence in connection with the murder and dismemberment of her husband, is attempting to change her sentence. As one of the oldest women inmates in Indiana, Komyatti is claiming that she was the victim all along: a battered wife at the hands of her physically and verbally abusive alcoholic husband, Paul Komyatti Sr.

• At his trial for the Brown's Chicken murders, a high school friend of James Degorski testified today that Degorski admitted committing the murders.
• An Aurora man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for acting as a lookout during a gang-related beating that resulted in the victim's death.
• Some local post offices are under review for possible closings.

• Two men were charged with the murder of retired Bartlett attorney Carl Kuhn; the men allegedly suffocated Kuhn to death and stole his extensive gun collection.
• The Sun-Times has the uplifting story of 11-year-old "hero" Adonis Bell.
• A pair of University of Illinois trustees refuse to go gentle into that good night in spite of pressure from Gov. Quinn.

It's been almost two years since the disappearance and death of Nailah Franklin. Within days of her September 19, 2007 disappearance, Franklin's body was found in a wooded part of Calumet City. Shortly thereafter, Franklin's ex-boyfriend, Reginald Potts, Jr., was charged with her murder; he's still in jail awaiting trial. As the anniversary approaches, the Tribune's Dawn Turner Trice has an excellent feature on Franklin's family as they continue to cope with the Nailah's death and await Potts' trial. Trice's piece let's Franklin's family - her mother Maria Maner, her father Lee Franklin, and sisters Lehia Franklin Acox and Ashley Chappell - explain in their loss and experiences in their own words.

A couple eager to welcome their recently paroled son home from prison were found shot to death in their basement Saturday morning, Chicago Breaking News reports.

An episode of NBC's Dateline show has prompted lawyers for Marni Yang to request a gag order in the case as well as a change of venue due to concerns the segment, which aired last week, might taint the potential jury pool. According to the Tribune, one of Yang's lawyers argued the segment delved into evidence and witnesses that has yet to be reviewed in court. The presiding judge requested a copy of the episode and a hearing on the matter has been scheduled for late September. Yang is accused of the 2007 murder of Rhoni Reuter and her unborn child; prosecutors allege Yang was jealous of Reuter's relationship with then-Chicago Bear Shaun Gayle. You can watch the Dateline piece in segments here. Part 1 is below.

The trial for the second suspect in the violent 1993 Brown's Chicken murders isset to begin with jury selection on Thursday; opening statements are scheduled for August 31. Jury selection for James Degorski, charged with shooting deaths of seven people at the Palatine restaurant, could take up to two weeks. In 2007, Juan Luna stood trial for the killings, resulting in a conviction on all seven counts of murder and a life sentence. The big break in the case came in 2002 when Degorski's then girlfriend, Anne Lockett, finally gave in and told police Degorski had admitted committing the shootings to her. The Daily Herald has a nice break-down of Degorski's case as well as an archive of recent stories and developments.

Michael "Mario" Pace, 18, the teen found guilty of shooting and killing teen Blair Holt on board a CTA bus in May 2007, has been sentenced to 100 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery. Kevin Jones, who gave Pace the gun used in the shooting, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role. [Sun-Times]

On the heels of the announcement last week that crime in Chicago was down in the first half of 2009 over the first half of 2008, Chicago experienced one of its most violent weekends so far this year. Weekend violence accounted for 63 shootings, one stabbing, and a total of 10 deaths. Of course, looking back at last summer's violence, the bloody start to this July is pretty pedestrian, all the more reason to be skeptical about that recent decrease claim: last year's murder tally was the highest in five years, undermining the claim that violent crime is decreasing rather than just returning to normal levels.

The babysitter of Jada Justice has been charged in the death of the toddler as has the babysitter's boyfriend. Engelica Castillo, 18, and Tim Tkachik, 23, both of Hobart, were charged with Jada's death. Jada's body was allegedly found encased in concrete and placed in a plastic bin, according to CBS 2.

In 1989 Juan Johnson, then 19, was arrested for murdering a rival gang member with a two-by-four outside a nightclub in Humboldt Park. He was later convicted and sentenced to a 30-year prison term and served eleven and a half years before he was acquitted in 2004. On Monday, Johnson was awarded $21 million in compensatory damages which is the largest award for wrongful conviction in Chicago history according to Chicago Breaking News.

The teen accused of shooting and killing teen Blair Holt on-board a CTA bus in May 2007 has pleaded guilty to the shooting. Michael Pace, 17, will serve between 45 years and life for the murder as well as an additional sentence of 6 to 30 years for aggravated battery. Kevin Jones, considered Pace's accomplice, pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of conspiracy to commit murder, earning him a 10 year sentence. Four others on the bus were injured in the shooting. Pace will be sentenced July 20. [Tribune]

A third person - this time an adult - has been charged in last month's horrific murder of teenager Alex Arellano. The Sun-Times reports this morning that Alisa Campos, 22, has been charged with a count of first-degree murder. Two others - Jovanny Martinez,15, and Edgar Silva,18 - were previously charged in the crime. According to a report from Chicago Breaking News, Campos is alleged to have been one of the people who beat Arellano with a baseball bat when he refused to acknowledge his attackers' gang affiliation (Latin Kings). Arellano's burned body was found in a gangway the next day.

Tom Tuduj, who was convicted in January of killing his boss, Gary Poter, was sentenced today to 45 years in prison. The murder happened in 2006. Prosecutors alleged Tuduj was enraged over a poor work review and pay reduction by Poter, though Tuduj claimed a toxic mix of medications caused him mental issues. Tuduj was also convicted of attempted disarmament of a police officer because he tried to grab an officer's gun while in police custody.

After yesterday's shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., the Illinois Holocaust Museum is on "heightened alert." Richard Hirschhaut, executive director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, called the shooting in D.C. a "senseless attack." According to the Sun-Times:

No Billy Joel jokes here as a traveling piano man is standing trial in a brutal 2004 double murder. Steven L. Zirko is accused of killing his then-girlfriend, Mary Lacey, and her mother, Margaret Ballog. In a strange and horrible twist, prosecutors allege that Zirko initially tried to hire someone from his anger management class to kill Lacey for him but eventually decided to murder her himself. Zirko's attorney, Barry A. Spector, said, "There is no direct evidence connecting him to the murders, and we're anxious to finally have a jury hear all the evidence." Security around the trial is heightened because extended families of both the victims and Zirko are planning on attending. [Sun-Times]

• Controversy in Evergeen Park where parents of Evergreen Park Community High School students are alleging they were barred from entering the school's graduation ceremony.
• Gang member Steve Bryant was sentenced to 85 years for the 2006 murder of marine Ricardo Martinez.
• Cook County Public Defender Abishi Cunningham claims his office is out of money to defend death penalty cases.

• Major airlines are set to do the hokey pokey at O'Hare on June 1 and United will be sharing space at Terminal 1 with Continental.
• Michael Norton, owner of Norton Sweet Shop - a West Side convenience store - was shot and killed in an attempted robbery last night.
• More change coming to Chicago's parking meters: by the end of the year, 3,000 cash-free payment boxes - on which you can use credit cards - will be installed.

Never one to go more than a few days without telling the media what he thinks, Drew Peterson gave a jailhouse interview with NBC's Today Show that, once again, proclaimed his innocence.

Chicago Police reported Friday that there have been 108 murders in Chicago between January and April, a 19.4 percent drop from last year, which saw 134 murders during the same time frame. They have also recovered 421 more firearms and 49 more assault weapons than during this period last year. Total violent crime is down 2.8 percent overall, and property crime is down 9.6 percent. Police Superintendent Jody Weis attributes the decline to new crime reduction strategies. "With the summer fast approaching," Weis said in a press release from the police department, "we will look closely at the tactics which have made the streets safer and engage the community to help us continue in this direction."

• Juan Rivera was found guilty for a third time in the 1992 rape and murder of Holly Staker despite the fact DNA evidence did not match Rivera.
• Always one with the classy wisecracks, upon being led - shackled - into court today, Drew Peterson told reporters, "Look at this bling...Three squares a day and this spiffy outfit. How can I complain?’’ Peterson's arraignment was set for Monday, May 18.
• Lawyers representing ex-governor Rod Blagojevich have agreed to take the reduced, court-appointed fee of $110 an hour.