Timothy D. Lawrence | Homicide Watch Chicagohttp://homicides.suntimes.com/victims/timothy-d-lawrence/Latest news about Timothy D. Lawrenceen-usWed, 26 Oct 2016 11:06:22 -0500Man charged with killing romantic rival Timothy Lawrence, then burning down his home to cover crimehttp://homicides.suntimes.com/2016/10/26/man-charged-with-killing-romantic-rival-timothy-lawrence-then-burning-down-his-home-to-cover-crime/<p>By RUMMANA HUSSAIN<br /> Chicago Sun-Times<br /> <img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/chicago/files/2016/10/bell-willie.jpg" alt="Willie Bell | Chicago Police" width="213" height="266" class="size-full wp-image-21798" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Willie Bell | Chicago Police</p><br /> A Morgan Park man who dressed up as a meter inspector and then went to the home of romantic rival <a href="http://homicides.suntimes.com/victims/timothy-d-lawrence/">Timothy D. Lawrence</a> and shot him to death was ordered held without bond on Tuesday, according to prosecutors.</p> <p><a href="http://homicides.suntimes.com/suspects/willie-bell/">Willie Bell</a> didn’t know the 48-year-old Lawrence, but had found out that they both had been dating the same woman, which prosecutors said led to Bell taking Lawrence’s life.</p> <p>Cook County Judge James Brown called Bell’s actions “cold, calculated and preplanned.”</p> <p>Chicago Police had released surveillance footage of a man they now say is Bell outside Lawrence’s residence two days before the home exploded last year. Once firefighters extinguished the flames, Lawrence’s badly burned body was discovered with a single gunshot wound to the head, Assistant State’s Attorney Bryan Grissman said.</p> <p>Just days before—on Sept. 5, 2015—Bell was seen on surveillance footage at a Home Depot purchasing a reflective workman’s vest and workman’s helmet, Grissman said.<br /> <span id="more-21796"></span><br /> <img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/chicago/files/2016/10/03jan16-person-of-interest-22nd-district-murder-ca-hy422426-picture-1-1024x576-300x169-300x169.jpg" alt="Surveillance picture of the man who is believed to have killed a Morgan Park man while dressed as a meter inspector. | Chicago Police" width="300" height="169" class="size-medium wp-image-21801" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Surveillance picture of the man who is believed to have killed a Morgan Park man while dressed as a meter inspector. | Chicago Police</p></p> <p>A week later, Bell showed up at Lawrence’s doorstep in the 10800 block of South Morgan wearing the helmet and vest, Grissman said. But now, the helmet had the words “Meter Inspector” written on it.</p> <p>Surveillance footage shows Bell walking around the house, checking on things and then being allowed inside by Lawrence, Grissman said.</p> <p>Once inside, Bell allegedly shot Lawrence. When he walked out an hour later, Bell, now wearing a shirt that read “I’m that dude,” was seen with a bandaged hand getting into Lawrence’s Buick LeSabre, Grissman said.</p> <p>Bell’s Facebook account has pictures of him wearing the shirt that says, “I’m that Dude,” Grissman said.</p> <p>Bell, of the 11000 block of South Homewood, used Lawrence’s credit card to buy gas at a station a day after the murder, Grissman said.</p> <p>Then, on Sept. 14, around 12:30 a.m., Bell and another person drove to Lawrence’s home in the stolen Buick, Grissman said.</p> <p>Bell and his cohort were seen taking gas cans from the car, Grissman said. Bell then used a key to get inside while the other person walked in with the gas cans.</p> <p>Minutes later, the surveillance video outside Lawrence’s home was disabled, Grissman said.</p> <p>Then at 12:43 a.m., a 911 call was made indicating there was a fire at the home.</p> <p>While firefighters were on their way, the house exploded, Grissman said. Several accelerants were found inside, one under Lawrence’s charred body.</p> <p>Cellphone records shows Bell was near Lawrence’s home on Sept. 12 and Sept. 14 of last year, Grissman said. His DNA was also found on Lawrence’s car’s driver seat and on a pair of eyeglasses inside the car, Grissman said.</p> <p>Bell, 44, works as a truck driver and is a 1991 graduate of Steinmetz College Prep, an assistant public defender said.</p> <p>The divorced father of one is charged with murder, concealment of a homicidal death, residential arson, home invasion and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.</p> Jeff MayesWed, 26 Oct 2016 11:06:22 -0500http://homicides.suntimes.com/2016/10/26/man-charged-with-killing-romantic-rival-timothy-lawrence-then-burning-down-his-home-to-cover-crime/Timothy D. LawrenceWillie BellPolice release photos of 'person of interest' in September slaying of Timothy Lawrence in Morgan Parkhttp://homicides.suntimes.com/2016/01/04/police-release-photos-of-person-of-interest-in-september-slaying-of-timothy-lawrence-in-morgan-park/<p><a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/chicago/files/2016/01/03Jan16-Person-of-Interest-22nd-District-Murder-CA-HY422426-Picture-1-1024x576.jpg"><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/chicago/files/2016/01/03Jan16-Person-of-Interest-22nd-District-Murder-CA-HY422426-Picture-1-1024x576-300x169.jpg" alt="Police are asking for help identifying a person of interest in a September homicide in Morgan Park. | Chicago Police" width="300" height="169" class="size-medium wp-image-15082" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Police are asking for help identifying a person of interest in a September homicide in Morgan Park. | Chicago Police</p>By JORDAN OWEN<br /> Chicago Sun-Times Wire</p> <p>Chicago Police have released surveillance photos and are asking for the public’s help identifying a “person of interest” in a September shooting in the Morgan Park neighborhood that took the life of <a href="http://homicides.suntimes.com/victims/timothy-d-lawrence/">Timothy D. Lawrence</a>.</p> <p>About 12:40 a.m. Sept. 14, firefighters responded to a report of an explosion and fire at a single-story home in the 10800 block of South Morgan Street. </p> <p>A 48-year-old man, identified as Lawrence, was found unresponsive at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.<br /> <span id="more-15079"></span></p> <p><a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/chicago/files/2016/01/03Jan16-Person-of-Interest-22nd-District-Murder-CA-HY422426-Picture-2.jpg"><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/chicago/files/2016/01/03Jan16-Person-of-Interest-22nd-District-Murder-CA-HY422426-Picture-2-300x169.jpg" alt="Police are trying to identify this man, a &quot;person of interest&quot; in a person of interest in a September homicide in Morgan Park. | Chicago Police" width="300" height="169" class="size-medium wp-image-15083" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Police are trying to identify this man, a "person of interest" in a person of interest in a September homicide in Morgan Park. | Chicago Police</p><br /> The fire was extinguished at 1:22 a.m. and no one else was injured, fire officials said. Police said the fire was intentionally set. </p> <p>On Sunday, detectives released photos of the person of interest captured on video on the front porch of the victim’s home before the murder.</p> <p>The victim’s vehicle was also stolen after he was shot, police said. Investigators are trying to locate the 2004 black Buick LeSabre with license plate V617710.</p> <p>Anyone with information about the person or the car is asked to call Area South detectives at (312) 747-8271.</p> Jeff MayesMon, 04 Jan 2016 11:45:49 -0600http://homicides.suntimes.com/2016/01/04/police-release-photos-of-person-of-interest-in-september-slaying-of-timothy-lawrence-in-morgan-park/Timothy D. LawrenceMan found shot to death after 'suspicious' Morgan Park fire identified as Timothy Lawrencehttp://homicides.suntimes.com/2015/09/28/man-found-shot-to-death-after-suspicious-morgan-park-fire-identified-as-timothy-lawrence/<p><iframe src="http://homicides.suntimes.com/api/v1/homicides/1263.html" width="100%" height="350" frameborder=0></iframe><br /> A man found shot to death after a “suspicious” explosion and fire at a Morgan Park neighborhood house two weeks ago has been identified as 48-year-old <a href="http://homicides.suntimes.com/victims/timothy-d-lawrence/">Timothy D. Lawrence</a>. </p> <p>About 12:40 a.m. Sept. 14, firefighters responded to a report of an explosion and fire at a single-story home in the 10800 block of South Morgan Street, according to Fire Media Affairs.</p> <p>A 48-year-old man, identified as Timothy D. Lawrence, was found unresponsive at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.</p> <p>The fire was extinguished at 1:22 a.m. and no one else was injured, fire officials said.<br /> <span id="more-13679"></span></p> <p>Police issued a community alert the next day saying the fire was intentionally set.</p> <p>“It frightened me because I thought a car had ran into a building or something. But then when I saw the house, I saw flames shooting out the top,” a neighbor, the Rev. Eric D. Roberts Sr., told reporters at the scene.</p> <p>The Chicago Police Bomb and Arson Unit is investigating the the fire.</p> <p>The victim’s vehicle was also stolen after he was shot, police said. Investigators are trying to locate the 2004 black Buick LeSabre, which had a license plate number of V617710.</p> <p>Anyone with information on the car or the incident is asked to call Area South detectives at (312) 747-8271.</p> <p><em>--Chicago Sun-Times WIre</em></p> Jeff MayesMon, 28 Sep 2015 13:56:53 -0500http://homicides.suntimes.com/2015/09/28/man-found-shot-to-death-after-suspicious-morgan-park-fire-identified-as-timothy-lawrence/Timothy D. Lawrence