By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
Chris Moore | Illinois Dept. of Corrections
A Far South Side man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for stabbing Janice Coleman to death after a night of drinking in the Roseland neighborhood in 2015.
Chris Moore, 59, was found guilty of murder Dec. 12 after a bench trial before Cook County Judge Erica Reddick, according to Cook County court records.
Moore, Coleman and others spent the morning of Feb. 8, 2015, drinking at an acquaintance’s home in the 11300 block of South Parnell Avenue, authorities said at the time.
When the resident “passed out,” Coleman put her coat on to leave with a man she used to date, authorities said.
Moore became upset and told Coleman, “You have been drinking with me all morning and you are going to leave with him, I don’t think so,” authorities said.
Janice Coleman | Facebook
Moore followed the pair downstairs, wedged himself in between them and shut the door behind the other man, authorities said.
The man outside heard Coleman say, “Quit playing Chris,” then multiple banging sounds, authorities said. He waited outside for a few minutes, but when Coleman didn’t come out, he assumed she decided to stay with Moore and went across the street.
The next day, the resident who had passed out found Coleman, 48, lying in the fetal position against the front door with her coat still on, authorities said. She had a stab wound to her right side, and two slash wounds and a puncture wound to the right side of her face.
An autopsy found Coleman died of multiple stab wounds and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
When the other man learned Coleman was dead, he contacted police and told detectives what happened, authorities said.
When Moore was arrested, he still had blood on him and admitted to having a dating relationship with Coleman, but said she fell down the stairs and hit her head, authorities said. He claimed he tried to help, but when she didn’t get up, he left.
Detectives found a bloody 8-inch knife in the kitchen garbage where she was stabbed, authorities said.
Moore had previously served a 10-year sentence for attempted armed robbery and a three-year sentence for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
Judge Reddick sentenced him to 40 years in prison on Jan. 19, according to court records. He will receive credit for 711 days served in the Cook County Jail.
He was booked into the Stateville Correctional Center to begin serving his sentence last week, according to IDOC records.