Martavian Emery | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man gets 30 years for revenge killing that left Martavian Emery dead in Back of the Yards in 2014

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 10:13:41 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Otis Harriel | Illinois Dept. of Corrections

A 50-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally shooting Martavian Emery, who allegedly directed the killer's daughter to a Back of the Yards home, where she was beaten and robbed at gunpoint in 2014.

Otis Harriel pleaded guilty Oct. 5 to murder before Judge James Obbish, according to Cook County court records.

Emery and his sister were walking to a restaurant on April 25, 2014, when Harriel’s daughter asked Emery where she could buy marijuana, prosecutors said at the time.

Emery directed her to a house in the 5400 block of South Winchester Avenue, but when she arrived, she was pistol-whipped and robbed at gunpoint, prosecutors said.

Early the next day, Harriel confronted Emery for information about the robbery and threatened those responsible, prosecutors said. A witness saw a gun inside Harriel’s hooded sweatshirt, and Emery and the witness entered the home where the robbery happened.

Martavian Emery | Facebook

A short time later, shots were fired through a window of the home, prosecutors said. Police said Harriel was standing in the rear of the residence when he fired shots into the second floor.

Emery, 21, was inside the kitchen area of a home and was shot in the chest. He died at the scene, authorities said.

A 20-year-old woman sleeping in a bedroom was shot in the left knee and was treated at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

Harriel was arrested May 26, 2014, and had a .38 caliber gun in his possession, authorities said. Ballistics tests confirmed the bullets recovered from Emery's body were fired by that gun, prosecutors said. The witness also identified Harriel in a lineup.

Judge Obbish sentenced Harriel to 30 years in prison Friday, according to court records. He will receive credit for 592 days served in the Cook County Jail.

Harriel was booked into the Stateville Correctional Center on Monday to begin serving his sentence, according to IDOC records.

He had previously been convicted of burglary and three drug charges.

Comment of the Day: "He wasn't like how [people are trying to] make him seem"

Michael Lansu — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:53:07 -0500

Martavian Emery, 21, was fatally shot April 26, 2014, in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Prosecutors said Emery directed a woman to a nearby home, where she was beaten and robbed, and her father came back and shot him. Reader Carla Coleman posted this about Emery:

I disagree he didn't know anything was about to happened cause if he did the situation wouldn't even ended like it did martavian was a loving caring person a sweet heart n I speak from experience being with that young man 24/7 365 a year for 6 whole years he wasn't like how ppl tryna make him seemed

Prosecutors: Otis Harriel fatally shot Martavian Emery for directing daughter to home where she was beaten, robbed

Michael Lansu — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:06:10 -0600

Otis Harriel / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A 47-year-old father fatally shot a man who allegedly directed his daughter to a Back of the Yards home, where she was beaten and robbed at gunpoint in April 2014, prosecutors said.

Martavian Emery and his 20-sister were walking to a restaurant on April 25, 2014, when Otis Harriel's daughter asked Emery where she could buy marijuana, said Assistant State's Attorney Sarah Karr.

Emery directed Harriel's daughter to a house in the 5400 block of South Winchester Avenue, where she was pistol whipped and robbed at gunpoint, Karr said.

Early the next day, Harriel confronted Emery for information about the robbery and threatened those responsible, Karr said.

A witness saw a gun inside Harriel's hooded sweatshirt, and Emery and the witness entered the home where the robbery happened, Karr said.

A short time later, shots were fired through a window of the home, prosecutors said. Police said Harriel was standing in the rear of the residence when he fired shots into the second floor.

Emery, 21, was inside the kitchen area of a home and was shot in the chest and died at the scene, authorities said.

A 20-year-old woman sleeping in a bedroom was shot in the left knee and treated at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

Harriel was arrested May 26, 2014, and had a .38 caliber gun in his possession, authorities said. Ballistics tests confirmed the bullets recovered from Emery were fired by that gun, Karr said.

Martavian Emery / Photo from Facebook

The witness identified Harriel in a lineup, and he was charged Thursday with murder and aggravated battery, authorities said.

Harriel, 47, of the 1400 block of South Canal Street, was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 1989, manufacturing or delivery of cocaine in 1990, burglary in 1999, possession of a controlled substance in 2011 and has a pending armed habitual criminal charge, according to court records.

Harriel receives social security checks and has mental health issues, according to his defense attorney.

Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Harriel held without bond during a Friday court hearing.

"You are a danger," Bourgeois said to Harriel.

Harriel will be back in court March 18.

-- Contributing: Rummana Hussain

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight killed in citywide violence

Michael Lansu — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 08:51:41 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eight people were murdered throughout Chicago last week, raising the city's homicide total to nearly 100.

Five of the eight killings happened over the weekend, which also saw 35 other people wounded by gunfire.

The most recent murder happened when 40-year-old Cicero resident Benito Juarez was stabbed during an argument in the 4100 block of West 26th Street about 4:40 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Several males approached Juarez as he walked, an argument ensued and Juarez was stabbed in the neck, authorities said. Juarez, of the 2100 block of South 50th Avenue in Cicero, died about an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Juarez is expected to be the 100th non-police-involved shooting Chicago death ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office following a Monday autopsy.

In the Logan Square neighborhood, 21-year-old Cindy Bahena was fatally shot while riding in a vehicle in 3500 West Fullerton Avenue about 12:35 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

A group of males standing on a nearby sidewalk yelled gang slogans at the vehicle then at least one person opened fire, according to police, who said the driver is a known gang member.

Bahena, of the 200 block of North Laramie Avenue, was struck by the gunfire and died at Norwegian-American Hospital at 12:47 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Saturday, 17-year-old Jaquez Williams was standing in the 5500 block of West North Avenue when a gunman shot him in the head about 2 a.m., authorities said.

Williams, of the 5400 block of West North Avenue, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, 21-year-old Martavian Emery was fatally shot while in the kitchen area of a home in the 5400 block of South Winchester Avenue about 1:15 a.m. Saturday, authorities. A second person in the kitchen was also wounded.

Detectives believe the gunman opened fire from outside the home, police said.

On Friday, 32-year-old Leonore Draper was fatally shot while in her car 11500 block of South Laflin Street about 10:35 p.m., authorities said.

Draper, of the 1100 block of South Laflin Street, was shot in the right arm and chest and died about two hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

Family members said Draper had just attended A Charitable Confection, a fundraiser on the Near South Side to raise money for teen anti-violence group Project Orange Tree. The group was formed by King College Prep students after the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton last year.

On Thursday, 22-year-old Darius Kelly was killed in a drive-by shooting in the 900 block of West 83rd Street about 6:25 p.m., authorities said.

Kelly, of the 200 block of West 95th Street, was shot multiple times and died at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the North Lawndale neighborhood, 19-year-old Demario Collins was in a vehicle in the 1600 block of South St. Louis Avenue when three males opened fire about 3:05 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Collins, of the 2100 block of South St. Louis Avenue, was shot in the head, arm and shoulder and died at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

The killings started about 6:15 a.m. last Monday when emergency personnel found Quinton Jackson with a gunshot wound to the head in the hallway of a building in the 7800 block of South Ingleside Avenue, authorities said.

Jackson, 22, of the 100 block of East 103rd Street, was dead on the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged in any of the murders.

However, Ana Rosa Mora was charged with murder after her newborn son was found wrapped in a plastic bag in the 2700 block of North Hamlin Avenue about 8:30 a.m. April 19, authorities said. Autopsy results were initially inconclusive pending a police investigation.

Mora, 18, of the 2700 block of North Hamlin, was admitted to putting the live infant inside a plastic bag and leaving him lying in a gangway, police said.

On Saturday, Mora was ordered held on $500,000 bond.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 104 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including five 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 at least five of the homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Martavian Emery killed in Back of the Yards shooting

Michael Lansu — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 10:21:13 -0500

Martavian Emery was killed and another person was wounded in an early Saturday shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Emery, 21, was inside the kitchen area of a home in the 5400 block of South Winchester Avenue when somebody opened fire from outside, authorities said.

Emery, of an unidentified home address, was struck in the chest and died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

A 19-year-old was also inside the home was shot in the leg and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, police added.

Nobody has been charged in the murder.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire