Babette Miller | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors say Babette Miller was killed by her boyfriend just days after she filed an abuse report with police

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 17:17:48 -0500

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Robert Keith Simon | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

Babette Miller told Chicago Police last spring that her boyfriend had threatened her with a gun after she refused to have sex with him and a neighbor.

While she was filing the domestic abuse report on April 1, Miller also told officers that Robert Keith Simon had slapped her in the face the night before for not performing her “womanly duties,” Cook County prosecutors said in court Friday.

Miller’s bullet-riddled body was found by her parents a few days later, lying face down in bed in the two-bedroom Avalon Park apartment she shared with Simon.

Simon fled to Minnesota following the deadly shooting and turned himself to authorities there soon after, Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said.

The 45-year-old former Uber driver was brought back to Chicago this week to face charges in Miller’s death.

Babette Miller | Facebook

Simon allegedly told police he killed the 35-year-old Miller with a .22 caliber handgun after an argument in their apartment in the 1700 block of East 85th Street.

Miller, fearing for her life, had sent a copy of her police report to her friend on Facebook the same day she contacted police about Simon’s abuse, Santini said.

She also told the friend she was afraid Simon would harm her, Santini said.

When the friend didn’t hear from Miller two or three days later, he contacted Chicago Police on April 5.

In the meantime, Miller’s mother and father went to the couple’s apartment and broke down the door when no one responded to repeated knocks, Santini said.

They called 911 when they found their daughter unresponsive and cold to the touch, Santini said.

Miller had been shot multiple times around her upper body.

Police found several .22 caliber shell casings around the body, a few live rounds in an ashtray in a closet on the shelf, shotgun shells in the front of the bedroom, and an empty holster, Santini said.

Simon left an ID at his residence, and police saw one of his prescription bottles with his name on it, Santini said.

Once they learned Simon had left the state, an arrest warrant was issued.

Simon drove himself to the Minneapolis Police Department on April 8 and told them what he had done, Santini said.

He was arrested on weapon charges there after Minnesota police officers recovered .38 and .22 caliber handguns from his car, Santini said.

Simon has four children and studied business for a few years after high school, his defense attorney said in court.

Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Simon held without bond.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 12 people killed in Chicago violence, 13th dies 6 years after being shot in Austin

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 16:00:42 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Even unseasonably cold weather didn't stop the violence last week in Chicago, where at least 11 people were fatally shot and another man was stabbed to death. A 13th fatality, also linked to gun violence, was a man who died six years after being shot on the West Side.

The latest fatality was man found shot to death Sunday morning in the Marquette Park neighborhood. Officers responding about 11:25 a.m. to a call of a person on the ground found 18-year-old Dennis Bradford III unresponsive in the 6500 block of South Fairfield, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Bradford, who lived in the 6200 block of South Mozart, had suffered gunshot wounds to the head and wrist, and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

A 28-year-old man died Sunday morning after being dropped off at a Far South Side hospital with a gunshot wound to the left hip, according to police.

Marcus Smith arrived at 4:51 a.m. at Roseland Community Hospital at 45 W. 111th St. with a gunshot wound to the torso, according to police and the pmedical examiner's office. Smith, of the 2200 block of Spaulding Avenue in Dixmoor, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 5:05 a.m.

Police are trying to determine where the shooting happened as part of the the homicide investigation.

A 23-year-old woman died Saturday afternoon, about a day after being shot in the head in the West Elsdon neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Lauren Membreno was in the front seat of a parked vehicle about 7 p.m. Friday in the 5500 block of South Karlov when another vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Membreno—who wasn’t the intended target—was shot in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:37 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. A police source said her boyfriend, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was thought to have been the intended target.

A 65-year-old man was found stabbed to death inside a vehicle early Friday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side. Ramon Ramirez was found unresponsive at 1:02 a.m. in the 5700 block of West Grand Avenue, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Ramirez, a Mexican immigrant and 40-year city resident, lived on the same block where he died, died from a stab wound to the leg, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner's office. His family believes he was killed during a robbery.

A man was shot to death a block from his Austin neighborhood home late Thursday. Officers were called to the 4700 block of West Huron about 11:50 p.m. and found Jonathan B. Sanchez, 23, lying on the sidewalk, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Sanchez, of the 4600 block of West Huron, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. On Saturday, Decorian Collins, 22; and Lamar Williams, 24, were charged with first-degree murder for shooting Sanchez, according to police. Collins is being held on $1 million and bond was denied for Williams.

Eighteen-year-old Diangelo Black died Saturday night, two days after being critically injured in a Humboldt Park shooting that also claimed the life of 23-year-old Deandre Trotter.

Trotter and Black were standing in the 3400 block of West Chicago at 3:26 p.m. Thursday when two males dressed all in black ran up, opened fire and ran away, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to Stroger Hospital.

Trotter was pronounced dead at 4:02 p.m. that day, while Black died at 9:13 p.m. Saturday.

Marvin Lee was shot to death early Thursday outside a bar in Chatham neighborhood. Lee, 30, was inside Murphy's Lounge in the 7600 block of South Cottage Grove about 2:40 a.m. when he got into an argument with two other men, according to authorities and witnesses.

The argument spilled out onto the street, at which point one of the men pulled a gun and shot Lee in the head, according to police and the medical examiner's office. Lee, of the 6100 block of South Michigan Avenue, was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:52 a.m., according to the medical examiner's office.

A witness said the fight started, and cooled off, inside, and Lee was going over to apologize to the others involved when he was shot.

A man was shot to death Wednesday morning in the North Lawndale neighborhood. Gerwancey Rambus, 40, was sitting in a vehicle in the 1100 block of South Richmond at 11:27 a.m. when someone approached and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Rambus was shot multiple times in the chest, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. He lived about two blocks away in the 1100 block of South Mozart.

A man was shot to death early Wednesday outside a restaurant in Austin. Aurelio Guzman, 32, suffered multiple gunshot wounds about 1:45 a.m. in the 4900 block of West Madison, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Guzman, of the 2200 block of North Laverne, was pronounced dead at the scene outside the Whale Fish Shrimp & Chicken restaurant. Witnesses told investigators that another male walked up to the victim and opened fire, then ran away.

A woman was found shot to death in her Avalon Park neighborhood apartment Tuesday night after what may have been a domestic incident. Officers responding about 7:35 p.m. to a call for a well-being check in the 1700 block of East 85th Place found 35-year-old Babette Miller unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

A family member called police when they hadn’t heard from the woman, according to a police source. Miller, who lived in the apartment, was pronounced dead at the scene. No one has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting, but it may have been domestic-related, police said.

A 17-year-old boy died after being shot Monday afternoon in the Norwood Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. The shooting happened about 1:15 p.m. in a parking lot behind a strip mall in the 5500 block of North Harlem about 1:15 p.m., according to police.

Anthony Heatherly was shot in the chest and was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he later died, according to police, who said the shooting may have resulted from a drug deal gone bad. A neighbor said the shooting didn't happen in the parking lot, butthe teen was dumped from a car in the parking lot.

Another man died last week of wounds suffered six years ago when he was shot in Austin. Trayon Carson, 38, died at Norwegian American Hospital on Wednesday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

He was shot on April 27, 2010, in the 1600 block of North Menard Avenue, according to police. An autopsy found he died of complications from those gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Babette Miller shot to death in her Avalon Park apartment in what police believe was a domestic incident

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:02:49 -0500

Babette Miller was found shot to death in her Avalon Park neighborhood apartment Tuesday night after what may have been a domestic dispute, according to Chicago Police.

A family member called police when they hadn’t heard from Miller, and officers responded about 7:35 p.m. for a well-being check at the apartment in the 1700 block of East 85th Place.

The 35-year-old Miller was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:58 p.m., authorities said.

No one has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting, which police say may have been domestic-related. Area South detectives are investigating.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire