Phillip Curtis | Homicide Watch Chicago

17 years for fatal 2013 shooting of Phillip Curtis outside his grandmother's house in Auburn Gresham

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 15:50:07 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Terrence Ghani | Chicago Police

A man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for fatally shooting Phillip Curtis in the South Side Auburn Gresham neighborhood more than three years ago.

Terrence Ghani, 23, was found guilty of second-degree murder on Nov. 14, according to Cook County court records.

Ghani fatally shot the 21-year-old Curtis about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 6, 2013, in the 8700 block of South Loomis Street, authorities said.

Curtis, of the 8600 block of South Marshfield Avenue, was shot in the abdomen, arm and neck; and died about an hour later at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

Curtis’ grandmother, Lucille Murdock, said at the time that her son was coming to help her when gunfire erupted outside her home. She looked out the window and saw her grandson on the ground.

Phillip Curtis | Facebook

Curtis, nicknamed “Mister,” had two 1-year-old daughters, family members said. He had attended DuSable High School and enjoyed playing video games.

Judge Carol Howard sentenced Ghani to 17 years in prison during a hearing on Dec. 6, according to court records. He will receive credit for three years and 15 days served in the Cook County Jail, and will have to serve two years of supervised release.

Ghani was booked into the Stateville Correctional Center to begin serving his sentence Dec. 8.

Terrence Ghani charged with killing Phillip Curtis in Auburn Gresham

Michael Lansu — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 17:09:17 -0600

Terrence Ghani / Photo from Chicago Police

Terrence Ghani has been charged with murder for allegedly fatally shooting Phillip Curtis in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood more than two weeks ago.

Ghani, 20, is accused of killing 21-year-old Phillip Curtis about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in the 8700 block of South Loomis Street, authorities said.

Curtis' grandmother, Lucille Murdock, said her son was coming to help her when gunfire erupted outside her home. She looked out the window and saw her grandson on the ground

Curtis, of the 8600 block of South Marshfield Avenue, was shot in the abdomen, arm and neck and deid about an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

Phillip Curtis / Family Photo

Curtis, nicknamed “Mister,” had two 1-year-old daughters, family said. He had attended DuSable High School and enjoyed playing video games.

Ghani, of the 1400 block of West 80th Street, was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first degree murder, police said.

-- Sun-Times Media

WEEK IN REVIEW: Four killed in South Side shootings

Michael Lansu — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 09:49:35 -0600

Four people were shot and killed last week on the South Side.

Three of the four murders last week happened during a two-hour period Wednesday evening. Nobody has been murdered since.

Steven Marshall, DeMarco Powell and two other men were sitting in a vehicle in the 1400 block of West 73rd Place when two gunmen opened fire on them about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Powell, 28, of the 7300 block of South Laflin Street, was dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Marshall, 28, of the 1400 block of West 74th Street, was shot in the back and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died less than an hour later, authorities said.

Two 27-year-old men in the vehicle were also wounded, police said. One man was shot in the buttocks and the other was shot in the left shoulder. Both were hospitalized in “stable” condition.

A fifth person later told police he was hurt by flying glass from the attack, police said.

In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, Phillip Curtis was shot in the neck, arm and abdomen in the 8700 block of South Loomis Street about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Curtis, 21, of the 8600 block of South Marshfield Avenue, man was initially taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 5:25 p.m., authorities said.

In the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, Jose Rodriguez was shot in the face about 7 p.m. Monday in the 6000 block of South Talman Avenue, authorities said.

Rodriquez, 30, who lived on the block, was dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police said Rodriquez had documented gang affiliations.

Nobody has been charged for any of the murders.

Chicago Police reported 10 people shot, and no murders, between 6 p.m. Friday and midnight Sunday. During the same weekend last year, 24 people were shot and one person was killed.

Family: Phillip Curtis was on his way to help his grandmother when shot dead

Jessica Koscienlniak — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 21:48:31 -0600

BY SAFIYA MERCHANT
Homicide Watch Chicago

Phillip Curtis was on his way to help his grandmother at her Auburn Gresham neighborhood home when he was shot to death last Wednesday.

His grandmother, Lucille Murdock, said she was talking with family inside her home when gunfire erupted outside. She looked out the window and saw her grandson on the ground and several males running away across the street, she said.

Curtis, 21, was shot in the neck, arm and abdomen in the 8700 block of South Loomis Street about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

“He was pulling [himself] up on the fence," Murdock said. "He calls me Nanny. He said, ‘Nanny help me. Help me Nanny.’”

Curtis, of the 8600 block of South Marshfield Avenue, died about an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Curtis, nicknamed “Mister,” had two 1-year-old daughters, family said. He had attended DuSable High School and enjoyed playing video games.

“He was also sweet as well,” said Simona’e Murdock, Curtis’s aunt. “He would do whatever you asked him to do.”

Curtis' younger brother, 19-year-old De’jon Curtis, said his brother was a laid-back person who usually kept to himself.

De’jon Curtis, who studies criminal justice at Joliet Junior College, said his brother's death is motivating him to accomplish his goals. He said he hopes to help out Curtis's children.

The family regularly encouraged Phillip Curtis and his brother to be safe, Simona'e Murdock said.

“But again, [Phillip Curtis] was just still to himself and just would be like, ‘I’m okay, it’s cool’ ... thinking that nothing would ever happen to him,” Simona’e Murdock said.

Police believe Phillip Curtis was involved in gangs. Curtis's family has a different take on his life. Simona’e Murdock said her nephew did not participate in that lifestyle.

“He wasn’t in gangs, he wasn’t a street guy, you know, he mind his business, went his own way,” she said. “He wasn’t perfect either, don’t get me wrong. But again, he wasn’t a gang banger, you know, anything like that.”

Phillip Curtis was the second person shot and killed on the block in the past five months.

On July 3, William Jones was sitting in a car when he was shot about 1:35 p.m. Jones, 26, of the 7800 block of South Emerald Avenue, was dead on the scene, authorities said.

Lucille Murdock said she used to live on “a nice, quiet block” that has deteriorated. Murdock now worries about Curtis' brother.

“I don’t want nobody to steal and rob him of his life,” she said.

Nobody has been charged for Curtis' murder.

Photos: Jessica Koscielniak / Sun-Times

Phillip Curtis shot dead in Auburn Gresham

Michael Lansu — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 09:21:03 -0600

Phillip Curtis was fatally shot in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood Monday evening on the South Side.

Curtis, 21, was shot in the neck, arm and abdomen in the 8700 block of South Loomis Street about 4:30 p.m., authorities said.

Curtis, of the 8600 block of South Marshfield Avenue, man was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 5:25 p.m., authorities said.

Area South detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire