Rodney Wilson | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: 10 killed in violence, including woman fatally stabbed by ex during domestic fight

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 16:04:25 -0500

At least 10 people were killed in Chicago during the week of Oct. 16-22, including eight by gunfire, one by stabbing, and another by vehicular homicide.

Elizabeth Kennedy | Facebook

A man has been charged with murder a domestic-related stabbing incident that left a woman dead and two men wounded Saturday night in the Marquette Park neighborhood. Elizabeth Kennedy, 36, was stabbed in the chest at 5:42 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Marquette, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Prosecutors claim Eddie Crowder fatally stabbed his ex-girlfriend in front of her 13-year-old daughter; wounded a second man, and slashed the teen’s 75-year-old grandfather during a family argument that exploded into violence in Marquette Park. Kennedy was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead at 7:40 p.m., authorities said. The two other men sufered non-life-threatening injuries.

Kennedy lived on the same block, a generally quiet area on the Southwest Side. Crowder was ordered held without bond.

In other homicides last week:

A man was found dead Sunday evening with gunshot wounds to his head and back in the West Side Austin neighborhood, and another man has been charged with his murder. Lonnell Holmes, 24, was found about 8:34 p.m. in the 1000 block of North Lavergne, police said. He was unresponsive and had multiple gunshot wounds to the head and back. Terrance Johnson, 40, was ordered held without bond for shooting Holmes twice in the head and once in the lower back, after Holmes mocked Johnson about Johnson’s son’s death, Assistant State’s Attorney Guy Lisuzzo said during a bond hearing. The two men knew each other, but hadn’t seen each other in years before their fateful encounter, Lisuzzo said.

Police have opened a homicide investigation after a 21-year-old man died when another driver rammed into his truck and dragged it two blocks early Sunday in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. About 2:15 a.m., Eduardo A. Pena was driving a red 1998 Ford Ranger pickup in the 5500 block of South Kedzie when the driver of a black pickup intentionally rammed his vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Pena’s vehicle was dragged into the 5700 block of South Kedzie, where it struck a tree, police said. The driver of the black truck then drove off. Pena, who lived in the Southwest Side Gage Park neighborhood, had to be extricated from the Ranger and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 4:44 a.m., authorities said.
A 25-year-old man was shot to death Saturday evening in the South Chicago neighborhood. Stephen J. McCray was standing in front of a home at 5:54 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Manistee when someone came out of a gangway and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner's office. McCray was struck in the chest, and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He lived on the same block where he was shot.
A man was shot to death Thursday evening in the South Shore neighborhood. The victim was walking about 4:45 p.m. when someone walked up to him 68th and Stony Island, took out a gun and fired, police and the medical examiner's office said. Antonio Barrett, 30, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:53 p.m. He lived several blocks away in the same neighborhood.
A 32-year-old man was fatally shot Thursday morning in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. Just after 10 a.m., Lydell Wilson was sitting in a van in the 1300 block of South Troy when a bicyclist rode up, pulled a rifle out of a backpack and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner's office. Wilson was shot multiple times in the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. He lived about a block away from where the shooting happened.
A 21-year-old man died after he was shot Thursday morning in the South Side Englewood neighborhood. O'Hage Marshawn Stewart was standing with a woman in the 200 block of West 69th Street at 9:18 a.m. when a male suspect walked up, and they got into an argument, according to police and the medical examiner's office. The suspect then pulled out a gun and fired shots. Stewart was shot in the chest and back, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He lived in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. An autopsy Friday found he died of the gunshot wound to his back.
A man was found shot to death late Wednesday in the South Shore neighborhood. Officers responded at 11:15 p.m. to a call of a person shot and found 29-year-old Edward Duling lying in a parking lot in the 7800 block of South Cornell, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Duling had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body, and was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived on the same block as the shooting.
A 19-year-old man died after being shot in the chest during an argument Tuesday night in the South Side Bronzeville neighborhood. Just after 8 p.m., Rodney Wilson was sitting in a vehicle in the 4700 block of South Forrestville when someone walked up and an argument ensued, police and the medical examiner’s office said. The other person fired shots, striking Wilson in the chest. Wilson drove himself to Provident Hospital before being transferred to Stroger Hospital, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at 7:23 a.m. Wednesday. He lived in the Roseland neighborhood.
A man who was shot Monday night in the West Side Austin neighborhood died Tuesday afternoon. About 8:50 p.m. Monday, 19-year-old Terrence Lipsey was standing on the sidewalk in the 200 block of North Mason when another male walked up and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Lipsey was shot in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:37 p.m. Tuesday, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He lived about a block away from the shooting.

—Homicide Watch Chicago

Erika Jett gets 4 years for fatally stabbing her boyfriend, Rodney Wilson, in 2014 in their Austin home

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:54:55 -0500

Erika Jett | Illinois Dept. of Corrections

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for fatally stabbing her boyfriend, Rodney Wilson, during an argument in their West Side Austin neighborhood home in the fall of 2014.

Erika Jett, 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder after a bench trial before Judge James Linn on Feb. 10, according to Cook County court records.

Jett and her boyfriend, the 30-year-old Wilson, got into a heated argument at their home in the 5100 block of West Fulton Street on Oct. 16, 2014, authorities said at the time.

The couple shouted at each other and exchanged blows in front of Wilson’s children, before someone in the home eventually took the kids out of the room, authorities said.

Once the kids were gone, Jett grabbed a knife and stabbed Wilson in the arm, chest and neck. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died within an hour, authorities said.

Linn sentenced Jett to four years in prison during a hearing Monday, according to court records. She will receive credit for 550 days served in the Cook County Jail.

She was booked into the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln on Wednesday, according to IDOC records.

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.

Prosecutors: Erika Jett fatally stabbed Rodney Wilson during domestic fight in Austin area

Michael Lansu — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 18:49:07 -0500

Erika Jett / Photo from Cook County Sheriff's office

BY BRIAN SLODYSKO
Chicago Sun-Times

Erika Jett was ordered held on $500,000 bond Sunday after prosecutors claimed she fatally stabbed her boyfriend during a Thursday night fight in the Austin neighborhood.

Jett, 29, and her 30-year-old boyfriend, Rodney Wilson, got in a heated argument on Thursday night at their home in the 5100 block of West Fulton Street, said Assistant State’s Attorney Andres Almendarez.

The couple shouted at each other and exchanged blows in front of Wilson’s children before someone in the home eventually removed the kids from the room, prosecutors said.

But once the kids were gone, the dispute escalated. Jett grabbed a knife and attacked Wilson, stabbing him in his arm, chest and neck, prosecutors said. A witness at the home eventually persuaded Jett to drop the knife and then called 911, prosecutors said.

Wilson was lying on the floor of the residence, bleeding profusely, when first responders arrived, and Jett admitted stabbing him, according to a police report.

Wilson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died within an hour, authorities said.

Jett was charged with murder and on Sunday she was ordered held on $500,000 bond and will be back in court Monday.

Rodney Wilson stabbed to death in Austin

Michael Lansu — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 18:44:40 -0500

Rodney Wilson was stabbed to death during a domestic fight in the Austin neighborhood.

Wilson, 30, was stabbed in the 5100 block of West Fulton Street about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

He and a woman were arguing when she pulled out a knife and stabbed him multiple times, police said.

Wilson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The woman was taken into custody, but no charges had been filed as of Friday afternoon, police said.

Area North detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire