Erika Jett | Homicide Watch Chicago

Erika Jett gets 4 years for fatally stabbing her boyfriend, Rodney Wilson, in 2014 in their Austin home

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:54:55 -0500

Erika Jett | Illinois Dept. of Corrections

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for fatally stabbing her boyfriend, Rodney Wilson, during an argument in their West Side Austin neighborhood home in the fall of 2014.

Erika Jett, 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder after a bench trial before Judge James Linn on Feb. 10, according to Cook County court records.

Jett and her boyfriend, the 30-year-old Wilson, got into a heated argument at their home in the 5100 block of West Fulton Street on Oct. 16, 2014, authorities said at the time.

The couple shouted at each other and exchanged blows in front of Wilson’s children, before someone in the home eventually took the kids out of the room, authorities said.

Once the kids were gone, Jett grabbed a knife and stabbed Wilson in the arm, chest and neck. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died within an hour, authorities said.

Linn sentenced Jett to four years in prison during a hearing Monday, according to court records. She will receive credit for 550 days served in the Cook County Jail.

She was booked into the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln on Wednesday, according to IDOC records.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Six killed in Chicago violence

Michael Lansu — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 08:59:55 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Four people were shot to death, one man was fatally stabbed and another was beaten and strangled last week in Chicago.

Three of the six murder victims were fatally shot over the weekend, when at least 19 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The most recent killing happened when 18-year-old Alexandria Burgos was shot in the head while sitting in an apartment in the 5300 block of West Oakdale Avenue when gunfire erupted outside about 12:35 a.m., authorities said.

Burgos, of an unidentified home address, died less than an hour later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Saturday, 24-year-old Genorel Martin was opening the door to his apartment building in the 6700 block of South Throop Street in West Englewood when a gunman approached about 1 a.m. and fatally shot him near the vestibule, authorities said.

In the Roseland neighborhood, police found 21-year-old Travis L. Wright shot to death in the backseat of a car outside his home in the 9300 block of South Wentworth Avenue about 12:25 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

On Thursday, prosecutors claim 29-year-old Erika Jett fatally stabbed her boyfriend, 30-year-old Rodney Wilson, during a domestic fight in the 5100 block of West Fulton Street, authorities said.

Wilson, of an unidentified home address, died about an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

Jett was charged with murder and was ordered held on $500,000 bond.

In the South Shore neighborhood, 25-year-old Alexander D. Smith was shot in the 7500 block of South Colfax Avenue about 2:45 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Smith, of an unidentified home address, was shot multiple times and was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. A 14-year-old boy was also wounded but survived.

The killing started when a janitor found the body of 45-year-old homeless man Joseph Kaman in a garbage bin at Northwestern Business College in in the 4800 block of North Lipps about 11:45 a.m Tuesday, authorities said.

Prosecutors claim Jake Tate, 27, Todd Cooper, 35, and Daniel Morris, 20, beat, strangled and sodomized Kaman because Tate thought he had stolen his cell phone.

Additionally, 55-year-old ArrowStream CEO Steven LaVoie died last Monday after being shot July 31 in the 200 block of South LaSalle, authorities said. Police said recently demoted employee Tony DeFrances shot LaVoie then turned the gun on himself.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 349 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 13 people killed by police.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different by following federal guidelines, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Prosecutors: Erika Jett fatally stabbed Rodney Wilson during domestic fight in Austin area

Michael Lansu — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 18:49:07 -0500

Erika Jett / Photo from Cook County Sheriff's office

BY BRIAN SLODYSKO
Chicago Sun-Times

Erika Jett was ordered held on $500,000 bond Sunday after prosecutors claimed she fatally stabbed her boyfriend during a Thursday night fight in the Austin neighborhood.

Jett, 29, and her 30-year-old boyfriend, Rodney Wilson, got in a heated argument on Thursday night at their home in the 5100 block of West Fulton Street, said Assistant State’s Attorney Andres Almendarez.

The couple shouted at each other and exchanged blows in front of Wilson’s children before someone in the home eventually removed the kids from the room, prosecutors said.

But once the kids were gone, the dispute escalated. Jett grabbed a knife and attacked Wilson, stabbing him in his arm, chest and neck, prosecutors said. A witness at the home eventually persuaded Jett to drop the knife and then called 911, prosecutors said.

Wilson was lying on the floor of the residence, bleeding profusely, when first responders arrived, and Jett admitted stabbing him, according to a police report.

Wilson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died within an hour, authorities said.

Jett was charged with murder and on Sunday she was ordered held on $500,000 bond and will be back in court Monday.