Homicide Watch Chicago

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

The death of a woman found more than two months ago in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side has been ruled a homicide, though authorities still don’t know her name.

The woman’s body was found at 6:02 a.m. Aug. 2 in the 10000 block of South LaSalle, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy did not immediately rule on cause and manner of death, but has since found that she died of a gunshot wound to the head, and ruled her death a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The medical examiner’s office is still trying to identify the woman. Anyone with information about her identity is asked to call (312) 666-0500.

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least 15 died in Chicago violence last week, including a woman shot to death by her cousin as the two women argued over the Far South Side apartment they shared being too mess, and a man stabbed to death by a friend as they did drugs on the South Side.

The week’s killing pushed the city’s homicide total past the 600 mark for the year, with the Chicago Sun-Times Wire counting 611 as of Sunday night.

The domestic slaying happened Tuesday evening in the Eden Green neighborhood; and led to Tiera Graves, 28, being charged with first-degree murder, according to Chicago Police.

Graves and her cousin, 21-year-old Marilyn Duffie, were arguing about 7:20 p.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of East 130th Street when Graves shot Duffie in the chest, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Duffie was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead two hours later.

Prosecutors said the cousins were apparently arguing over the messy apartment they shared, and over Duffie’s conduct around Graves’ child. Graves was ordered held on a $1 million bond.

• In the other murder involving acquaintances, a 37-year-old was charged with fatally stabbing another man inside a Woodlawn neighborhood apartment where they were doing drugs with the victim’s girlfriend Sunday morning, according to prosecutors. About 8:15 a.m., Jacob Shelton got into an argument with 45-year-old Lucius Delaney inside the older man’s home in the 6600 block of South Vernon, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
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More than five hours after a SWAT unit surrounded an apartment building in West Town on Tuesday night, the body of Loretta A. Purcell was found inside the building she owned.

Authorities say the 84-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her son, 58-year-old Christopher Kelly Purcell, who then took his own life with a gun.

Family members said Christopher Purcell had long suffered from mental health and substance abuse issues, and lived in an apartment in the building, though in a separate unit than his mother, who never stopped trying to help him.

Officers responded about 4:30 p.m. to a call of a domestic shooting inside the building in the 800 block of North Wolcott, according to Chicago Police.

But Purcell refused to come out of the apartment, and a police SWAT team was called to the hostage/barricade situation, authorities said.

After surrounding the building near the busy intersection of Chicago and Wolcott, and stopping traffic on Wolcott for more than five hours, the SWAT team made entry into the home just about 9:45 p.m.

The victims were both found dead inside, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. They were pronounced dead at the scene at 9:58 p.m.

An autopsy Wednesday found Loretta Purcell died of multiple sharp force injuries, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office. Christopher Purcell died of a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Police say Lamar Watson knew the person who stabbed him to death Tuesday morning during a domestic fight in the North Lawndale neighborhood, but that person is not in custody.

Watson, 39, was stabbed multiple times in the chest in the 1400 block of South Avers at 8:50 a.m. during a fight with someone he knew, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived on the same block where he was stabbed.

Watson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:20 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy showed he died of multiple stab wounds.

No one was in custody as of Thursday morning, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Tramell Williams was fatally shot on a sidewalk in the Sheridan Park neighborhood on the North Side Wednesday afternoon.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 3:40 p.m. in the 4400 block of North Racine found the 26-year-old Williams lying on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and leg, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Williams, whose home address was not known, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died at 4:12 p.m.

The circumstances of the shooting were unknown. Area North detectives are conducting a homicide investigation.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Willie Bell | Chicago Police

Willie Bell didn’t know the 48-year-old Lawrence, but had found out that they both had been dating the same woman, which prosecutors said led to Bell taking Lawrence’s life.

Cook County Judge James Brown called Bell’s actions “cold, calculated and preplanned.”

Chicago Police had released surveillance footage of a man they now say is Bell outside Lawrence’s residence two days before the home exploded last year. Once firefighters extinguished the flames, Lawrence’s badly burned body was discovered with a single gunshot wound to the head, Assistant State’s Attorney Bryan Grissman said.

Just days before—on Sept. 5, 2015—Bell was seen on surveillance footage at a Home Depot purchasing a reflective workman’s vest and workman’s helmet, Grissman said.
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By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Jacob Shelton | Chicago Police

Jacob Shelton, Delaney and Delaney’s girlfriend had been doing drugs Saturday night and into the morning Sunday when Shelton and the girlfriend separately left the apartment in the 6600 block of South Vernon to buy more, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Holly Grosshans said in court.

When Shelton returned, he found the other two lying down. Soon, Shelton started arguing with 45-year-old Delaney, Grosshans said.

Delaney ended up pinning Shelton, 37, to the ground and kept him pinned down for a few minutes before asking if he was “cool,” Grosshans said.

Shelton eventually left the room, but came back armed with a knife and stabbed Delaney, Grosshans said.
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By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Phillip Boyd | Cook County Sheriff’s Dept.

Phillip L. Boyd, 26, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, according to Cook County court records.

Tyrone Hart, 18, was standing on the corner in the 8000 block of South Chappel Avenue when a passenger inside a passing black Nissan Maxima opened fire about 7:45 p.m. July 23, 2013, authorities said.
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By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Alexander Townsend | Facebook

The 16-year-old boy told his mother that Jalen Hibbler shot at him and the 18-year-old Townsend in the South Shore neighborhood on Sept. 14. The mother went to police with that information, Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Estrada said in court.

The 16-year-old was arrested on an unrelated charge Oct. 14, and three days later, while at the Juvenile Detention Center, he saw Hibbler twice, Estrada said.

In both instances, Hibbler placed his two fingers against his temple, mimicking a gun, Estrada said. The first time, Hibbler used his other hand to cover his mouth, Estrada said. He looked in the boy’s direction the second time, she said.
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Sixteen-year-old boy Jaylen Howard died after being shot multiple times Monday afternoon in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

The shooting happened about 4:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Pulaski, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Howard was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 5:25 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 1300 block of North Massasoit. An autopsy showed he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately known, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire