Joel Bentley | Homicide Watch Chicago

Richard Magnan sentenced to 11 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in shooting death of Joel Bentley

Michael Lansu — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:20:12 -0600

Richard Magnan / Photo from Chicago Police

BY LEEANN SHELTON
Sun-Times Media

An alleged gang member has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to accidentally shooting a friend while waving a gun during a Fourth of July celebration.

Richard Magnan, 35, pleaded guilty to being an armed habitual criminal and involuntary manslaughter Monday before Judge Matthew Coghlan, who sentenced him to 11 years in prison, according to court and prison records.

Magnan, who has numerous facial tattoos, including one that reads, “F--- the world,” was shot his friend, Joel Bentley, early July 5, prosecutors said.

The two friends were at a Fourth of July party before walking to a Walgreens parking lot in the 6200 block of South Austin Avenue, prosecutors said.

It was there that Magnan grabbed a gun from his truck and started waving it around, prosecutors said. Magnan's friends told him to put the gun away, but before he could it discharged and struck the 30-year-old Bentley in the abdomen.

Bentley, of the 5000 block of South Keating Avenue, died hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Magnan initially fled the scene, but was later arrested in a Willowbrook hotel, according to prosecutors, who said he admitted to shooting his friend. Both men were purported members of the 2-6 street gang, prosecutors claimed.

Magnan, of the 2600 block of West 90th Place in Evergreen Park, will receive credit for 154 days spent in jail since his arrest, according to court records.

Comment of the Day: "He helped a lot people and had become a positive influence to many who were less fortunate than him"

Michael Lansu — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 16:00:10 -0500

Joel Bentley was fatally shot July 5 in a Clearing neighborhood parking lot. Reader "LaShanda" posted this about him:

Joel was a man who's life was deserving of a better summary than all the stories I've read and it has been over a month. Joel's past may not have been one without many faults and darkness, but I am a witness that there was a change in him that is not being spoken of. He helped a lot people and had become a positive influence to many who were less fortunate than him. He was a part of a new circle that embraced him without prejudice of his past or affiliations and in return he left us with only good memories of him. The BIR CNC Team definitely lost a valuable player.

Prosecutor: Gang member Richard Magnan fatally shot friend Joel Bentley while waving gun around

Michael Lansu — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 06:46:30 -0500

Richard Magnan / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

An accused gang member who told police he keeps a gun to protect himself from rivals accidentally shot and killed a member of his own gang while waving that weapon around outside a Southwest Side Walgreens over the Fourth of July weekend, Cook County prosecutors said.

Richard Magnan, who has numerous face tattoos, including one that reads, “F--- the world” and a White Sox logo, was friends with Joel Bentley — the man he shot in the early morning hours of July 5, Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Molesky said.

Bentley was a member of the 2-6 street gang, Molesky said.

Magnan is also a purported member of the same gang.

Both men were at an Independence Day party before they and another friend walked to the Walgreens parking lot in the 6200 block of South Austin Avenue early Saturday, Molesky said.

Once there, Magnan, of Evergreen Park, went to his truck, grabbed his gun and pointed it to the other two men, Molesky said.

Magnan’s friends told him to put the gun away after he allegedly pulled the slide back and ejected a live round but he refused, Molesky said.

Magnan continued to wave the gun around and held it sideways, Molesky said.

At some point, the gun went off and a bullet struck 30-year-old Bentley in the abdomen, Molesky said.

Bentley, of the 5000 block of South Keating Avenue, died hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Magnan, 35, fled the scene but was arrested Monday in a Willowbrook hotel, according to a police report.

Magnan was identified by witnesses and allegedly admitted shooting his friend.

Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Magnan held in lieu of $3 million bond Wednesday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Magnan was previously sentenced to eight years in prison for a 2003 attempted murder.

He also has two convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle and a 2004 weapon conviction from Nevada.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 14 shot to death throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:42:18 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Fourteen people were shot to death last week throughout Chicago.

Nine of the murders happened during the three-day holiday weekend, when at least 60 other people shot and wounded. Additionally, man and woman were fatally shot early Monday. Their identifies have not yet been released.

On Sunday, 23-year-old Schiquille Salter was shot several times in the chest while standing on a corner in the 300 block of West 116th Street about 9 p.m., authorities said.

Salter, who lived on the block, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 9:54 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In Austin, 21-year-old Donald Ray was sitting in a car with another man in the 5200 block of West Lake Street when someone walked up and opened fire about 5:40 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Ray, of the 2000 block of West Adams Street, was struck in the head and died at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park less than an hour later, authorities said. The other man, 19, was wounded but survived.

In Uptown, 19-year-old Kezon Lamb and a woman were sitting in a vehicle in the 4400 block of North Malden Street when a gunman walked up and opened fire about 12:20 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Lamb, of the 4100 block of West 127th Street in Alsip, was struck in the back and died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center less than an hour later, authorities said.

On Saturday, 25-year-old Anthony Hobson was riding a bicycle in the 10400 block of South Normal Avenue in Roseland when a silver car drove past and someone inside opened fire about 11:35 p.m., authorities said.

Hobson, of the 10500 block of South Normal Avenue, was struck in the head and shoulder and died at Roseland Community Hospital less than an hour later, authorities said.

In West Englewood, police found 18-year-old Shaquille Ross shot multiple times in the street in the 6500 block of South Seeley Avenue about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Ross, of the 200 block of West 95th Street, died at Christ Medical Center about four hours later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the South Chicago neighborhood, 23-year-old Deandre Brown was in the 8700 block of South Houston Avenue when he was shot in the abdomen and leg about 10:20 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Brown, of the 9000 block of South Mackinaw Avenue, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital just over an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Clearing neighborhood, 30-year-old Joel Bentley was in the parking lot on the southwest corner of West 63rd Street and South Austin Avenue when he was shot in the abdomen just before 1 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Bentley, 30, of the 5000 block of South Keating Avenue, died at Christ Medical Center at 5:46 a.m. Saturday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 34-year-old Corey Hudson and 35-year-old Robert Cotten were standing outside in the 2000 block of West 63rd Street when a black vehicle pulled up and someone inside shot both men about 2:35 a.m., authorities said.

Hudson, of the 6000 block of South Bell Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Cotten, of the 9600 block of South Mozart Street in Evergreen Park, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 4:47 a.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 21-year-old Shambreyh Barfield and another woman were shot in the 3800 block of West Monroe Street about 4:15 p.m., authorities said.

Barfield, of the 6900 block of South Winchester Avenue, was shot in the head and died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office. The other woman, 21, was shot in the arm and survived, police said.

On Wednesday, prosecutors claim Randy "Garfield" Ruiz, Jeremy Medina and three others fatally shot 19-year-old Jimero Starling in the 3300 block of West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood about 6:30 a.m., authorities said.

Starling and his pals were riding their bicycles when the group started shouting gang slogans and questioned them about their gang affiliation, prosecutors said. Starling tried explaining that he was a Latin King as well, but a fight ensued and Ruiz allegedly shot him, prosecutors said.

In West Englewood, 19-year-old Dakari Pargo shot in the head and back in the 7100 block of South Winchester Avenue about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Pargo, of the 7300 block of South Damen Avenue, died less than an hour later at Christ Medical Center, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Tuesday, 16-year-old Lafayette Walton was shot in the 1200 block of North Keeler Avenue at 5:18 p.m., authorities said. Lafayette, of the 2400 block of West Grenshaw Street, died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 6:52 p.m. Wednesday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The killings started last Monday when 17-year-old Michael Patton was shot in the chest in the 600 block of East 50th Place about 10:40 p.m., authorities said. Michael and a 15-year-old acquaintance were talking with several people in a van when somebody inside opened fire.

Michael, of the 600 block of East 51st Street, died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The 15-year-old was shot in the arm and treated at University of Chicago Comer's Children's Hospital, police said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 203 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including nine people killed by police.

Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

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

Joel Bentley fatally shot in Walgreens parking lot in Clearing

Michael Lansu — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 22:11:51 -0500

Joel Bentley was fatally shot in a Walgreens parking lot early Saturday in the Clearing neighborhood.

Bentley, 30, was in the parking lot on the southwest corner of West 63rd Street and South Austin Avenue when he was shot in the abdomen just before 1 a.m., police said.

Bentley, 30, of the 5000 block of South Keating Avenue, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 5:46 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire