Paul Pyron | Homicide Watch Chicago

UPDATE: Man previously convicted of murder now held without bond in fatal Ashburn shooting of Paul Pyron

Michael Lansu — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 14:11:40 -0500

Geno Paget / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A man convicted of second-degree murder in 2001 is now accused of fatally shooting a 21-year-old man during a May carjacking in the Ashburn neighborhood.

Geno Paget set up a cannabis purchase for May 27, and Paul Pyron accompanied the drug dealer for the transaction, said Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Novy.

Authorities said the drug dealer drove a black Ford Expedition to the 2300 block of West 80th Street with Pyron in the front passenger's seat. Novy said Paget approached the vehicle alone and after the drug dealer handed him the cannabis a second person appeared.

Paget explained that he didn't have the money for the drugs and the two men got into the backseat of the vehicle, Novy said.

The drug dealer told the men to exit the vehicle, and both men initially got out on the passenger's side, Novy said. Paget's acquaintance then allegedly opened the passenger's side door and implied a robbery by saying, "You know what this is."

The drug dealer pulled Pyron out the driver's side door and the two ran from their vehicle. The drug dealer then heard gunshots and saw Pyron on the ground and Paget's acquaintance holding a gun, Novy said.

The drug dealer escaped and returned moments later to find Pyron on the ground with blood on his chest.

Pyron, of the 1400 block of West 77th Street, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Pyron was the youngest of three siblings, but was always mature for his age, said longtime friend Kevin Harvey.

“[Pyron] never asked me for anything, even though I was so close to him,” Harvey said. “Him having that mindset that ‘I’m not gonna depend on anyone else to succeed,’ that independent factor he had about him, whatever I gotta do to survive, that was great about him.”

The drug dealer's vehicle, which contained his wallet and cell phone, was gone, Novy said.

Police later recovered the vehicle, but the wallet and cell phone were missing, Novy said.

Novy said Paget was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2001 for second-degree murder. In 2010, he was sentenced to four years in prison for robbery and was facing a pending aggravated battery to a police officer charge.

On Thursday, Judge Laura Sullivan ordered Paget held without bond.

A public defender noted Paget attended Kennedy King College for two years and lives with his fiance and children.

-- Contributing: Rummana Hussain

Geno Paget charged with murder in shooting death of Paul Pyron during Ashburn carjacking

Michael Lansu — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 17:13:35 -0500

Geno Paget / Photo from Chicago Police

Geno Paget has been charged with murder for allegedly fatally shooting Paul Pyron during a carjacking earlier this year in the Ashburn neighborhood.

Paget, 31, was also charged with armed robbery and aggravated vehicular hijacking, police said.

Pyron, 21, was in a black Ford Expedition in the 2300 block of West 80th Street when Paget and another person walked up about 10:25 p.m. May 27, authorities said.

Paget or his acquaintance allegedly shot Pyron in the chest and then drove off in the SUV, authorities said.

Pyron, of the 1400 block of West 77th Street, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Pyron was the youngest of three siblings, but was always mature for his age, said longtime friend Kevin Harvey.

Paget, of the 5700 block of South Damen Avenue, is scheduled to appear in bond court Thursday.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire

Comment of the Day: "He always flashed me a bright smile when I saw him"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:04:32 -0500

Paul Pyron was fatally shot last month during a carjacking in the Ashburn community. Reader "Challese Harvey" posted this about him:

I watched PJ grow from a lil boy to a handsome n respectful young man. He always flashed me a bright smile when I saw him . CC and I are really going to miss u. My heart is saddened by this tragedy . Kat you are in our prayers always. Love you always PJ

WEEK IN REVIEW: 14 murdered throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 09:17:44 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Fourteen people were murdered throughout Chicago last week -- including two people in their 50s.

Nine of the murders happened on South Side, four on the West Side and one on the North Side. The Austin community had the most killings last week with three.

The most recent murder happened when 27-year-old Eric Kall was shot multiple times in the 6200 block of South Francisco Avenue shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Kall, of the 5100 block of South Moody Avenue, died at Holy Cross Hospital about 20 minutes later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the South Deering community, 31-year-old Denero Appleton was shot while standing outside in the 9600 block of South Brennan Avenue when several people walked up and opened fire at 8:48 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Appleton, of the 9900 block of South Calhoun Avenue, died later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Austin community, 17-year-old Donald Williams was standing with a group of females near North Lavergne Avenue and West Ferdinand Street when several gunmen emerged from a nearby alley and opened fire about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Williams, of the 3000 block of West Dickens Street, was shot in the back and died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 1:19 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. Two teenage girls and three women were also wounded.

On Saturday, 16-year-old Nicholas Keener was walking with a group in the 3800 block of North St. Louis Avenue in the Irving Park community when shots were fired from a passing vehicle about 10:30 p.m., authorities said.

Keener, of the 4800 block of North Hamlin Avenue, was shot in the chest and died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center less than an hour later, authorities said.

In the South Chicago neighborhood, 33-year-old De Angelo Russell was walking with a friend in the 2600 block of East 83rd Street when at least one gunman walked up and fired shots about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Russell, of the 8200 block of South Marquette Avenue, was shot in the thigh, leg and arm and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Chatham neighborhood, 21-year-old McArthur Swindle was sitting in a sport-utility vehicle in the 700 block of East 87th Street when someone walked up and fatally shot him about 3:20 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Swindle — who went by the name Nuski as a rapper — was a relative of prominent Chicago rapper Lil Durk.

On Friday, 51-year-old Charles D. Short was standing with another man in the 4200 block of South Princeton Avenue in the Fuller Park neighborhood when a vehicle drove up and a male exited and started shooting in their direction about 6:30 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Short, 51, of the 6700 block of South Indiana Avenue, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 19-year-old Malcolm Stuckey was on a porch in the 5700 block of South La Salle Street in the Englewood neighborhood when someone walked out of a gangway and fired shots about 6:10 p.m., authorities said.

Stuckey, 19, of the 16000 block of Carrington Drive in South Holland, was shot in the head and declared dead at 10:35 p.m., authorities said. Two other men, 23 and 24, were also wounded in the shooting.

On the South Side, 58-year-old Betty Howard was shot in the head in the 700 block of East 79th Street about 5:25 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. Howard, of of the 2200 block of South 14th Avenue in Broadview, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital less than an hour later.

Howard was a special education teacher Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep and was working her second job in her Chatham real estate office when she was shot.

In the South Shore neighborhood, 21-year-old Craig Mitchell was shot multiple times in the 2400 block of East 74th Street about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. He was declared dead on the scene.

On Tuesday, 21-year-old Paul Pyron was driving a black Ford Expedition in the 2300 block of West 80th Street in the Ashburn neighborhood when two people approached and shot him during a carjacking about 10:25 p.m., authorities said.

Pyron died later that night at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office.

Friends said Pyron was an aspiring rapper who was always telling jokes.

On Monday, 33-year-old Monte Tillman was fatally shot about 3:15 p.m. in the 5200 block of West Lake Street in the Austin community, authorities said. Tillman, of the 1100 block of Thomas Avenue in Forest Park, died about an hour later at Stroger Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Tillman’s cousin, the Rev. Ezra Tillman of First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Mich., said Monte Tillman got involved in Chicago’s gang culture and the family was “hurt but not shocked” to learn of his death.

In the East Garfield Park neighborhood, police found 47-year-old Vincent Simmons in a vacant apartment in the the 2800 block of West Arthington Street about 7:15 a.m. Monday, authorities said. Simmons and a 43-year-old man were each stabbed and shot in the head.

Simmons, of the 2700 block of West Harrison Street, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. The other man survived, police said.

The killings started when 25-year-old Lance Stanton was shot 5400 block of West Haddon Avenue in the Austin neighborhood about 1 a.m., authorities said. Stanton, who lived on the block, died at Stroger Hospital.

Nobody has been charged in any of the murders.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 156 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including seven 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, recorded 134 murders through May, ruling the other homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Slain carjacking victim Paul Pyron 'had the biggest smile'

Michael Lansu — Thu, 29 May 2014 18:25:22 -0500

Paul Pyron / Photo from Facebook

BY SUSAN DU
Homicide Watch Chicago

More than 50 people gathered Wednesday night to light candles in remembrance of Paul Pyron, an aspiring rapper shot dead during a Tuesday night carjacking in the Ashburn neighborhood.

Pyron, 21, was driving a black Ford Expedition in the 2300 block of West 80th Street when two people approached about 10:25 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. At least one person shot Pyron in the chest then drove off in the SUV. Pyron died later that night at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

"I know bad kids. I know kids who don't have any aspirations or don't believe in anything, disrespectful, and I never got that from," said longtime family friend Larita Harvey. "I know a lot of people who have passed away that I can say, 'Yeah, they were just horrible.' Every time I saw him, he had the biggest smile for me."

Court records indicate Pyron pleaded guilty to a 2014 burglary charge and was sentenced to probation.

Harvey's son, Kevin Harvey, remembered his childhood best friend as a "really funny dude" who was always telling jokes. The friends enjoyed video games and playing baseball in the yard, he said.

Pyron was always mature for his age and self sufficiency was a core feature of his personality, Kevin Harvey said.

"PJ never asked me for anything, even though I was so close to him," Kevin Harvey said. "Him having that mindset that 'I'm not gonna depend on anyone else to succeed,' that independent factor he had about him, whatever I gotta do to survive, that was great about him."

Pyron, the youngest of three brothers, would often have joint childhood birthday parties with Kevin Harvey, who was almost exactly three years older, Kevin Harvey said.

Larita Harvey said she would often come home and find the friends engaged in bizarre pranks -- like playing dead as she walked through the door.

"They're all laying across the floor, the couches," Larita Harvey recalled. "I was like, 'Why would you do that?' and I started screaming at them and they just all broke out laughing. He was quite the jokester."

When Pyron was 6 years old, Kevin Harvey accidentally hit him in the eye with a plastic baseball bat, he said. Pyron screamed and cried but he didn't get angry.

"That's huge, to have that understanding at that age, because if it was the other way around, I probably would have tried to fight him," Kevin Harvey said. "PJ was not the type to hurt people. He was like a brother to me."

When the friends got older, Pyron and Kevin Harvey often drank together in secret at Larita Harvey's house and would get in trouble if she came home earlier than expected, Kevin Harvey said.

Most of the time the friends were just outside wandering around the neighborhood -- talking and play fighting with the girls on the block, he said.

"PJ, he had more game than me," Kevin Harvey said of Pyron's ability to approach women. "A lot of men out here are really disrespectful to women. With him, he wasn't like that. You see all these men calling women bitches and hoes, and he's actually a really respectful dude toward girls."

On Wednesday, family and friends gathered to light candles in remembrance Pyron. Pyron still lived with his mother, who appeared to be "in a lot of pain" when she attended the vigil, Larita Harvey said.

"I can't even think what it would be like ... even imagining it was wrong," Larita Harvey said. "You could tell she was suffering."

Paul Pyron fatally shot during Ashburn carjacking

Michael Lansu — Thu, 29 May 2014 10:39:16 -0500

Paul Pyron was fatally shot during a Tuesday night carjacking in the Ashburn neighborhood.

Pyron, 21, was driving a black Ford Expedition in the 2300 block of West 80th Street when two people approached about 10:25 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

At least one of the carjackers shot Pyron in the chest then drove off in the SUV, authorities said.

Pyron died later that night at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office, which did not know where he lived.

Nobody has been charged in the murder.

Area South detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire