Joseph Kaman | Homicide Watch Chicago

Family: Slain homeless man Joseph Kaman was 'magnetic to people'

Kenny Nguyen — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:51:55 -0600

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BY KENNY NGUYEN
Homicide Watch Chicago

Joseph Kaman dreamed of finishing college, and the homeless man spent much of his time studying at the Jefferson Park Library, family said.

Last month, three other vagrants beat and strangled the 45-year-old Kaman to death in the 4800 block of North Lipps Avenue because one of the attackers thought Kaman stole a cell phone, prosecutors said.

"Joseph was a very vibrant individual," said his niece, Michelle Rhodes. "He was willing to do anything for anybody ... he wouldn’t hurt a fly."

Rhodes said Kaman suffered from learning disabilities that limited his reading and math skills, but that didn't stop him from spending countless hours reading college textbooks at the library.

"I remember him telling me how he was studying up so he could get back to college -- and you could see how excited it made him," said friend Steve Weitzner. "He mentioned something about studying literature at Wright College, but I’m not to sure what he wanted to pursue in school."

When Kaman wasn't studying at the library he enjoyed crafts, soft rock music and Hungarian food, said his sister, Theresa Rhodes.

“He was always making something,” Holly Rhodes said. “He made me a white beaded necklace. He made my sister a dream catcher necklace -- that necklace is currently hanging up in my sister’s car.”

Joseph Kaman / Family photo

Kaman also enjoyed cleaning, Theresa Rhodes said.

“Joseph was a cleaning fanatic,” she said. “We called him the cleaning b---- and he would just smile.”

Relatives described Kaman as a generous, hard-working person who previously worked a maintenance job for Touhy Mobile Home Park, family said.

“He was always helping other people,” Holly Rhodes said. “If someone needed help, he would give his last to that person. He would give his only sweater or his last cigarette. He had a heart and soul.”

Family said Kaman and his wife, Holly, lived with a relative for a while, but his wife and family eventually moved to Florida.

"Joseph was a good kid at heart," said his sister, Theresa Rhodes. "Yeah we had our arguments, but what brother and sister doesn’t?"

Kaman briefly stayed at a Salvation Army, but left a short time later, family said.

On Oct. 14, Jake Tate, 27, Daniel Morris, 20, and Todd Cooper, 27, strangled, beat and sodomized Kaman after Tate accused Kamen of stealing his mobile phone, Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen Rogers said.

The group then threw Kaman's body into a garbage bin, where he was found by a janitor for Northwestern Business College, authorities said.

The three men were charged with first-degree murder and Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered them held in lieu of $2 million bond.

“I’m very happy that they're off the streets, they deserved what they got,” Holly Rhodes said. “ I could learn to forgiv,e but won’t forget ... It’s so emotional.

“We had a rough life. We were homeless in Jefferson Park and would hang out by the 7-Eleven. We would ride the trains all night long to keep warm. We never had a problem with anyone. Joseph was magnetic to people. He had a heart of gold and he will always be loved by everyone.”

Comment of the Day: "Whatever his story was, he was still someone's child, brother, cousin, father"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 16:28:09 -0500

Police found the body of a homeless man inside a Northwest Side garbage bin Oct. 14. He was later identified as 45-year-old Joseph Kaman. Reader "Anonymous" posted this about the killing:

The police said they are certain he was a homeless man. But whatever his story was, he was still someone's child, brother, cousin, father(?).
Very sad. I hope they can identify him.

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.

Three charged in Jefferson Park beating death of Joseph Kaman

Michael Lansu — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 19:19:33 -0500

Jake Tate / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A 45-year-old homeless man was strangled, beaten and sodomized by three other vagrants because one of the attackers thought he had stolen his cell phone, prosecutors said Friday.

After Joseph Kaman was repeatedly stomped on, he was thrown into a Dumpster on the Northwest Side sometime between Monday night and early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

His badly injured body was discovered by a resident the next day.

The deadly attack was initiated after 27-year-old Jake Tate accused Kamen of stealing his mobile phone, Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen Rogers said.

Tate vowed to beat and sodomize Kaman and was later overheard telling his friend Todd Cooper how he was going to stomp on Kaman’s face, Rogers said.

When Cooper later saw Kaman sleeping in the doorway of an alley in the 4800 block of North Lipps Avenue he summoned Tate and together the pair dragged Kaman’s body into an alley, Rogers said.

There, as Cooper watched, Tate allegedly kicked Kaman’s head, face and body until Kamen wasn’t moving.

Cooper and Tate walked a few feet away to talk to their other pal, Daniel Morris, when Kaman tried getting up and set off motion sensor lights in the alley, Rogers said.

Todd Cooper / Photo from Chicago Police

Upon seeing the lights activated, the trio charged at Kaman and beat him up together, Rogers said.

This time, Cooper, 35, joined Tate in kicking and punching Kaman, Rogers said.

Morris, 20, allegedly punched, choked and sat on Kaman.

That’s when Tate pulled down Kaman’s pants and sodomized him with a stick, Rogers said.

The three men pulled a Dumpster into the alley, threw Kaman inside and then rolled the Dumpster back to its original location, Rogers said.

But they weren’t done, prosecutors said.

Morris climbed in and allegedly stomped on Kaman some more and hit his head and body with a large rock or brick.

The three men then fled, taking Kaman’s backpack with them, Rogers said.

The entire beating was captured on surveillance video from a nearby business and Morris and Cooper allegedly identified themselves on tape and admitted to their roles in the murder.

Morris, who wore a Bears jersey in court Friday, was apprehended this week when police questioned him about an armed robbery.

“I know this is not about the robbery. I know this is about the body in the Dumpster. I was there,” a police report said Morris told officers.

Morris banged his head on the squad car several times as officers arrested him, the report said.

Tate was arrested near the Jefferson Park Transit Center and Cooper was arrested at Wilbur Wright College, a school he frequently visits, their police reports said.

Daniel Morris / Photo from Chicago Police

Prosecutors said the three men were homeless but an assistant public defender said Cooper lives with his father.

The former U.S. Marine’s last known address was in Harwood Heights.

Cooper is bipolar and has had past jobs driving a taxi and digging ditches, the assistant public defender said.

Mooris and Tate are suicidal and take medication, the defense attorney said.

Tate, who has several tattoos including one that reads “100% white,” is a single father and works as a mover.

His last known address was in the 4900 block of West Argyle Street.

Morris’ last lived in Bolingbrook, court records show.

Tate has felony convictions for burglary and aggravated battery.

Morris has three misdemeanor battery convictions and Cooper has a disorderly conduct conviction.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered the three men held in lieu of $2 million bond Friday.