Torrence G. Pickens | Homicide Watch Chicago

DNA on cigarette butt leads to murder charge in fatal 2014 shooting of Torrence Pickens in Bronzeville

Jeff Mayes — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 11:19:53 -0500

By JACOB WITICH
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Jeffery Freeman | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

Bond was set at $1 million Thursday for a man who was charged with the fatal 2014 shooting of Torrence G. Pickens in Bronzeville after DNA from a cigarette butt linked him to the killing.

Jeffery Freeman, 24, faces one count of first-degree murder for the Oct. 6, 2014, shooting that left the 40-year-old Pickens dead, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Pickens was drinking and smoking with several people in an alley near the first block of East 44th Street, according to prosecutors. He was sitting with someone else in a car parked at the mouth of the alley.

Several members of Freeman’s gang then pulled up in a tan Buick, approached Freeman and told him to “check” Pickens for being in their territory, prosecutors said.

Freeman was handed a revolver and then walked down the alley toward the car while smoking a cigarette, prosecutors said.

Freeman tossed the cigarette butt before approaching Pickens’ vehicle on the driver’s side and shooting him multiple times, prosecutors said. Freeman then ran through the alley toward 43rd Street, and took off in the Buick, prosecutors said.

Video surveillance from a nearby apartment captured footage of the shooting, prosecutors said.

Officers recovered the cigarette butt, which was submitted to Illinois State Police for analysis and DNA testing, according to the state’s attorney’s office. DNA extracted from the cigarette butt matched a DNA sample from Freeman, prosecutors said.

A witness also identified Freeman by his street name, “Rambo,” and identified him out of a photo array as the shooter.

Freeman’s bond was set at $1 million in court Thursday, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. His next court appearance was scheduled for July 19.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:57:11 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

At least eight men were murdered throughout Chicago last week.

Three of the victims were fatally shot over the weekend, when at least 17 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The most recent killing happened when 20-year-old Juan Mercado was shot while sitting on a front porch in the 2300 block of North Melvina Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood about 6:45 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Mercado, of the 2200 block of North Mulligan Avenue, was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Saturday, 22-year-old Eddie Taylor was shot when an argument started at a party in the 4400 block of West Madison Street in West Garfield Park about 1:10 a.m., authorities said.

Taylor, 22, of the 1900 block of South Homan Avenue, was shot in the face and died at the scene, authorities said. Three other people were wounded in the shooting.

On Friday, 20-year-old Roddy Comer was shot near South Carpenter Street and West 88th Street in Auburn Gresham about 10:50 p.m., authorities said.

Comer, 20, of the 7100 block of South Maplewood Avenue, was shot in the back and buttocks and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn early Saturday, authorities said. A 16-year-old boy was also wounded but survived.

On Thursday, prosecutors claim Shawanda Swain stabbed her boyfriend, 23-year-old Damani Chenier, during a domestic fight in her home the 5100 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard about 3:10 a.m.

Chenier, of the 10000 block of South Vernon Avenue, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office said.

Swain, 21, was charged Friday with first-degree murder and ordered held on $500,000 bond.

On Wednesday, 52-year-old Larry Lee was was shot in the 700 block of South Springfield Avenue in the West Garfield Park neighborhood about 10:30 p.m., authorities said. Witnesses told police they heard shots and saw the man lying on the ground, police said.

Lee, of the 3800 block of West Polk Street, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Tuesday, 22-year-old Jackie Roberson was shot in the head while walking in the 10700 block of South Wentworth Avenue in Roseland about 12:10 p.m., authorities said.

Roberson, of the 10600 block of South Wentworth Avenue, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 2:39 p.m. Wednesday, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, Daniel Brown allegedly fatally shot 42-year-old Daniel Jackson during a standoff with police in the 7200 block of South Lowe Avenue, authorities said.

Brown, 42, is also accused of shooting a Chicago Police captain during the standoff in the Englewood neighborhood and is being held without bond.

The killings started when 37-year-old Torrence Pickens was shot multiple times inside a vehicle in the 100 block of East 44th Street about 5:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Pickens, of the 3400 block of South King Drive, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Additionally, an unidentified teenager died last Monday from a gunshot to the head he suffered Oct. 4 in the 5400 block of South Talman Avenue, authorities said. Officers found the boy shot in the street and he remains unidentified.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 340 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 12 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.

Torrence Pickens fatally shot in Bronzeville

Michael Lansu — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 13:03:47 -0500

Torrence G. Pickens was shot to death in the Bronzeville neighborhood Monday evening.

Pickens, 37, was found shot multiple times inside a vehicle in the 100 block of East 44th Street about 5:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Pickens, of the 3400 block of South King Drive, was dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area Central detectives are investigating if the shooting is gang related.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire