$1M bond for fourth suspect in Cary 'Mike' Silverstein's fatal beating at birthday party in West Ridge

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:57:15 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Armani Bearden | Chicago Police

Bond was set at $1 million Thursday for the fourth person charged in connection with the December beating death of Cary "Mike" Silverstein, whose body was later thrown into a West Ridge dumpster and never recovered.

Armani Bearden, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder for the death of 64-year-old Cary “Mike” Silverstein, according to Chicago Police.

Shawndre Lehmann, 17; and Alexander Robinson, 28, were previously charged with first-degree murder, authorities said. Shatara Lehmann, 25, was charged with concealment of a homicidal death.

Silverstein hosted a birthday party at his apartment in the 6500 block of North Hoyne about 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 2015, according to prosecutors. The victim got into an argument with Robinson after saying derogatory things to his girlfriend, Shatara Lehmann, prosecutors said.

Alexander Robinson | Chicago Police

Robinson punched Silverstein in the face, then left the apartment to cool off. He later returned, and soon after, Shatara Lehmann’s brother, Shawndre Lehmann, and Bearden arrived at the party, prosecutors said.

Shawndre Lehmann, Robinson and Bearden all began punching, kicking and striking Silverstein with a metal frying pan. They eventually beat him to death, then made a plan to dispose of his body, prosecutors said.

Shatara Lehmann cleaned up the blood with water and bleach, and washed the frying pan, prosecutors said. Shawndre Lehmann and the others took off Silverstein’s clothes, tried to wash his body in the bathroom, then placed his body in two large garbage bags formed into a “makeshift body bag,” prosecutors said.

Shatara Lehmann | Chicago Police

Lehmann then took the body and put it in a nearby dumpster, while Robinson and Bearden acted as lookouts, prosecutors said. Silverstein’s body has not been recovered.

Flood Waste Company, which handles trash collection in the neighborhood, said garbage from bins in the area is initially taken to a transfer station in Maywood. From there, it would have been taken to a landfill in either Rochelle or Rockford. Both landfills handle millions of pounds of garbage every day.

Silverstein’s family filed a missing person report Dec. 16. He had previously talked to his sister almost daily, prosecutors said, but she last spoke to him the day of the murder.

Detectives examined Silverstein’s apartment for blood, and traces were found in the kitchen and bathroom, prosecutors said. Several people had been living with Silverstein prior to his disappearance, and one of them implicated Shawndre Lehmann and the three others.

Robinson and both Lehmanns admitted to participating in the murder and/or cover-up, prosecutors said.

Two eyewitnesses identified Bearden as participating in the beating, prosecutors said. He admitted to being at the party, seeing the others beat Silverstein, and acting as a lookout and while the others disposed of his body and cleaned up blood, prosecutors said.

Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Bearden held on a $1 million bond in court Thursday.

Shawndre Lehmann, of the 500 block of North Lockwood; and Robinson, of the 400 block of North Drake, were each ordered held on $1 million bonds. Shatara Lehmann, of the 3000 block of North Gresham, was ordered held on a $300,000 bond, but may qualify for electronic monitoring, prosecutors said.

Three more charged in connection with murder of Cary 'Mike' Silverstein in West Ridge, though body never found

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:54:21 -0600

Alexander Robins | Chicago Police

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Three more people have been charged—in addition to a 17-year-old boy—with beating Cary “Mike” Silverstein to death and throwing his body in a Dumpster in the West Ridge neighborhood on the North Side in December.

Shawndre Lehmann, 17, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in connection with the death of the 64-year-old Silverstein, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. Lehmann was 16 at the time of the murder.

Alexander Robinson, 28; and another boy are also charged with first-degree murder, Chicago Police announced Wednesday evening. Shatara Lehmann, 25, was charged with concealment of a homicidal death.

Shatara Lehmann is the brother of Shawndre Lehmann and Robinson's girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Silverstein hosted a birthday party at his apartment in the 6500 block of North Hoyne about 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 2015, prosecutors said at Shawndre Lehmann’s bond hearing Wednesday.

Shatara Lehmann | Chicago Police

The victim got into an argument after saying derogatory things to another person’s girlfriend, prosecutors said. That person punched Silverstein in the face, then left the apartment to cool off.

He later returned, and soon after, Shawndre Lehmann and another person arrived at the party, prosecutors said. Lehman and the two others began arguing with Silverstein, then punched, kicked and struck him multiple times with a metal frying pan.

They eventually beat him to death, then made a plan to his dispose of his body, prosecutors said.

Shatara Lehmann cleaned up Silverstein’s blood with water and bleach, and washed the frying pan, prosecutors said. Shawndre Lehmann and the two others took off Silverstein’s clothes, tried to wash his body in the bathroom, then placed his body in two large garbage bags which they taped together.

Shawndre Lehmann then took the body and put it in a nearby Dumpster, while the other two acted as lookouts, prosecutors said.

As of Wednesday, Silverstein’s body has not been recovered, prosecutors said.

Silverstein’s family filed a missing person report on Dec. 16. He had previously talked to his sister almost daily, prosecutors said. She last spoke to him the day of the murder.

Shawndre Lehmann, of the 500 block of North Lockwood, was arrested Monday and confessed to the murder and to dumping the body, prosecutors said. Judge Donald Panarese ordered him held on a $1 million bond Wednesday.

Robinson, of the 400 block of North Drake, also confessed and was ordered held on a $1 million bond, prosecutors said. Shatara Lehmann, of the 3000 block of North Gresham, was ordered held on a $300,000 bond, but may be eligible for electronic monitoring, according to prosecutors, who said she too confessed.

Court information on the other boy, who is charged as a juvenile, was not immediately available.

Robinson has a daughter, and Shatara Lehmann has three children, ages 5, 2 and 1, an assistant public defender said at their bond hearing Thursday. Her three children are now in DCFS custody.

Alexander Robinson | Homicide Watch Chicago

$1M bond for fourth suspect in Cary 'Mike' Silverstein's fatal beating at birthday party in West Ridge

Three more charged in connection with murder of Cary 'Mike' Silverstein in West Ridge, though body never found