WEEK IN REVIEW: Four killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:09:04 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Two people were shot to death, and two others were fatally stabbed, last week in Chicago.

Two more people also died last week from violent injuries suffered earlier this year, authorities said.

The most recent slaying happened when 13-year-old Anthony Diaz was fatally shot in the 6000 block of West Grand Avenue in the Belmont Cragin community, authorities said. Family said Diaz and his sisters had left their home to confront someone over Facebook posts.

Diaz, 2100 block of North McVicker Avenue, died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

In the Roseland neighborhood, police found 48-year-old Janice Coleman stabbed to death inside a home in the 11300 block of South Parnell Avenue about noon Sunday, authorities said.

On Wednesday, 20-year-old Curtis Lyons was shot in the 3100 block of West 84th Place in the Ashburn community, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Lyons was part of a group hanging out in the basement of Joshua Poe's residence when Poe, who had been smoking synthetic marijuana earlier in the day, shot Lyons in the head.

Lyons, of the 8000 block of South Richmond Street, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. Another man, 19, was also wounded.

Poe was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, police said. He was ordered held without bond.

The killing started when 60-year-old Linda Sanders was found beaten and stabbed to death insider her Grand Boulevard home in the 400 block of East 48th Street about 8:45 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

Prosecutors claimed Sanders' son, 40-year-old Dwight Brown, came over for dinner Sunday night and beat and stabbed his mother to death when her husband went to work for an overnight shift. Her body was found on the couple's 24th wedding anniversary.

Brown, of the 6200 block of South Dorchester Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery was ordered held without bond, authorities said.

Additionally, two people died last week from violent injuries suffered earlier in this year.

Kenneth Guise, 38, of Kaukauna, Wis., died Thursday night after being shot Jan. 29 during a party in the 11900 block of South Yale Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood, authorities said.

Myron Collier, 24, of the 10000 block of South Pulaski Road, was also wounded in the shooting and died at the scene, authorities said.

Christopher Cage, 27, of the 300 block of West 109th Place, was initially charged with first-degree murder for Collier's death and attempted murder for shooting Guise, authorities said. He is currently being held without bond.

Cierra Moore died Monday night after being stabbed in a domestic fight at a Roseland gas station in the 10000 block of South Michigan Avenue Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Prosecutors claimed Moore's girlfriend, 23-year-old Eliza Roper, stabbed Moore during a fight at the gas station. Moore, 27, of Calumet City, was able to drive away, but was found unresponsive in the car about a block away, authorities said.

Roper, also of Calumet City, was charged with first-degree murder and was ordered held on $400,000 bond.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 35 Chicago deaths in 2015 a homicide.

Prosecutors: Dwight Brown beat, hacked mother to death in her Grand Boulevard home

Michael Lansu — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 16:59:36 -0600

Dwight Brown / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MITCHELL ARMENTROUT
Sun-Times Media

Dwight Brown beat his 60-year-old mother to death then hacked up her body with a knife as she attempted to prepare him dinner in her Grand Boulevard home, prosecutors said.

Linda Sanders' husband found her dead in a pool of blood in the hallway of their home in the 400 block of East 48th Place about 8:45 a.m. Monday, prosecutors said.

Sanders' husband had left the home about 5 p.m. Sunday to go work his overnight job, prosecutors said. As he left, Brown arrived to visit his mother.

When the man got to work he called his wife, who said she was making dinner for her son, who would leave after the meal, prosecutors said.

The man tried calling Sanders "numerous" times late Sunday and early Monday, but she never answered the phone, prosecutors said.

When found on Monday, the couple's 24th anniversary, her face was "battered almost beyond recognition," prosecutors said.

An autopsy determined Sanders died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Authorities described the facial injuries as “hacking” with a heavy object, prosecutors said.

When police went to Brown's apartment in the 6200 block of South Dorchester Avenue they found him lying in bed in his blood-soaked clothes next to a bloody knife, prosecutors said.

Sanders’ house and car keys were found in her son’s coat, and $160 in cash she saved for an anniversary celebration were found in his bloody pants, prosecutors said.

Brown, 40, was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery, police said. He was ordered held without bond will be back in court Feb. 23.

Dwight Brown | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: Four killed throughout Chicago

Prosecutors: Dwight Brown beat, hacked mother to death in her Grand Boulevard home