Josephine Johnson | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors: 89-year-old Josephine Johnson killed when she caught burglar breaking into her home

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:09:59 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Trae Chatmon | Chicago Police

An 18-year-old man stabbed 89-year-old Josephine Johnson to death, then set her apartment on fire to cover it up after she caught him breaking into her Washington Park home last week, according to Cook County prosecutors.

Trae Chatmon has been charged with first-degree murder, according to Chicago Police.

Another resident woke to a smell of smoke in the three-story apartment building in the 5100 block of South Michigan Avenue in the early morning hours of Oct. 26, according to prosecutors.

The neighbor had seen 89-year-old Josephine Johnson return home from church the night before. He used a spare key to enter her first-floor apartment to check on her, and that's where he found her body lying on the floor outside her bedroom, prosecutors said.

Johnson was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 3:03 a.m., authorities said. An autopsy found she died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries from an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. She also suffered blunt force injuries to her head and burns on her upper torso, prosecutors said.

Josephine Johnson | Facebook

The apartment had been ransacked and a window had been broken, prosecutors said. Knives were recovered and multiple pieces of jewelry were found strewn on Johnson's bed.

About half an hour later, Chatmon was caught burglarizing a home nearby in the 300 block of East 53rd Street, prosecutors said. He was caught on surveillance video breaking into that home and was arrested.

Officers found several piece of jewelry on Chatmon, prosecutors said. One of those pieces, a broach, matched two broaches found on Johnson's bed, prosecutors said.

Chatmon was tentatively identified by a witness as the man seen standing outside Johnson's home as the fire burned, and blood on his clothing when he was arrested has been submitted for testing and analysis, prosecutors said.

Chatmon admitted he broke into Johnson's apartment through a window, then stabbed her with two knives after she caught him, prosecutors said. He set the home on fire because he was scared and wanted to cover it up.

He then ran away, but returned to the scene briefly around the same time firefighters arrived.

Chatmon, of the 4900 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, was ordered held on a $1 million bond Thursday by Judge Laura Sullivan. He was already being held at the Cook County Jail on charges of residential burglary and aggravated battery to a police officer.

18-year-old man charged with fatal stabbing of 89-year-old Josephine Johnson during Washington Heights robbery

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 09:30:04 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Trae Chatmon | Chicago Police

An 18-year-old man forced his way into 89-year-old Josephine Johnson's Washington Park apartment, stabbed her to death, robbed her and then set the apartment on fire, according to Chicago Police.

has been charged with stabbing an elderly woman to death before setting her Washington Park neighborhood apartment on fire last week on the South Side.

Trae Chatmon has been charged with first-degree murder for killing Johnson last week, police said.

Chatmon forced his way into Johnson's apartment in the 5100 block of South Michigan Avenue during the early hours of Oct. 26, according to police. He struck her in the head with an object and then stabbed her multiple times.

Josephine Johnson | Facebook

Chatmon then ransacked the apartment and set it on fire before leaving with several items of Johnson's property, police said.

Her body was discovered by firefighters in the first-floor apartment at 2:50 a.m., authorities said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 3:03 a.m.

An autopsy found she died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries from an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

A man, also thought to be in his 80s, was on the third floor when firefighters arrived. He was suffering from smoke inhalation and was taken in serious-to-critical condition to the University of Chicago.

Chatmon, of the 4900 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, was already in custody at the Cook County Jail on a separate charge, police said. He is scheduled to appear in bond court Thursday.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Elderly woman stabbed and beaten in Washington Park among 6 victims of violence

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 16:00:20 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
At least six people were killed in violence in Chicago last week, including an 89-year-old woman who was beaten and stabbed to death in her apartment by someone who then set the building on fire, according to Chicago Police.

The elderly woman was found fatally stabbed after an apartment fire early Monday in the Washington Park neighborhood was later identified as Josephine Johnson.

She was found by firefighters about 2:50 a.m. in an apartment in a three-story building in the 5100 block of South Michigan, according to Fire Media Affairs and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The fire appears to have started in her first-floor apartment, where she was found with multiple stab wounds, authorities said. The fire is thought to be suspicious in nature.

Johnson was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died at 3:03 a.m., authorities said.

An autopsy found she died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries from an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide.

Reginald Gildersleeve, 55, was shot inside a business in the 7200 block of West 51st Street in Gage Park at 7 p.m. Saturday after he tried to rob it while armed with a handgun, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Gildersleeve, of the 5000 block of South California, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene at 7:10 p.m., authorities said.

No charges or citations are e3xpected to be filed against the shooter, who had a conceal carry permit and an FOID card, police said.

A southwest suburban man was shot and killed Sunday morning in Little Village. The shooting happened in the 4100 block of West 31st Street at 8:35 a.m., according to police.

Eric T. Jones, 23, was shot in the chest and was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Jones lived in the 0-100 block of Hickory Trace Drive in Justice.

A 43-year-old man was charged with the fatal stabbing of Dorian D. Smith early Saturday in the South Shore neighborhood.

Brandon Young, of the 2200 block of East 102nd Street, has been charged with first-degree murder after he was identified as the person who fatally stabbed the 43-year-old Smith, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

At 12:25 a.m., police responded to a call of a battery in progress in a home in the 7800 block of South South Shore Drive. Police found Smith in a hallway on the 2nd floor with stab wounds to the head and body.

Smith, of the 8100 block of South Bishop Street, was transported to Northwestern Hospital where he died at 1:11 a.m., authorities said. An autopsy found he died of multiple sharp force injuries.

Damien Williams, wounded in a shooting Thursday morning in Chicago Lawn, died the next day at a hospital.

The shooting happened on the street in the 2500 block of West 70th Street at 9:21 a.m., according to police.

The 22-year-old Williams, who lived in the 6800 block of South Talman, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he died at 2:14 p.m Friday, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy showed he died of complications of multiple gunshot wounds.

Police questioned, but later released a person of interest after Rashad Stokes was shot to death Monday morning in the West Side Austin neighborhood.

Stokes, 29, was standing on the sidewalk in the 4800 block of West Madison about 1:30 a.m. when a male walked up and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Stokes, of the 5200 block of West Congress Parkway, suffered at least one gunshot wound to the body and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Police said a person of interest was questioned, but later released without charges.

89-year-old Josephine Johnson fatally beaten and stabbed in her Washington Park apartment

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:32:52 -0500

An elderly woman found fatally stabbed after an apartment fire early Monday in the South Side Washington Park neighborhood has been identified as Josephine Johnson.

Johnson, 89, was discovered by firefighters in an apartment about 2:50 a.m. in a three-story building in the 5100 block of South Michigan, according to Fire Media Affairs and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The fire appears to have started in her first-floor apartment, where she was found with multiple stab wounds, authorities said.

Johnson was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 3:03 a.m., authorities said.

An autopsy found she died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries from an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide.

A man, also thought to be in his 80s, was on the third floor when firefighters arrived. He suffered from smoke inhalation and was taken in serious-to-critical condition to the University of Chicago, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

“Smoke inhalation at that age is serious,” Langford said, adding the man appeared to be in “good shape.”

The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes. Langford said the cause of the blaze is thought to be suspicious in nature.

Chicago Police did not have any updates on the case Thursday morning.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire