The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the murder of Ronald Heard Jr., a Chicago State University business student and the father of one-year-old twin boys. He was gunned down at a South Side White Castle. He reportedly tried to help a woman who was being harassed by a drug dealer.
The drug dealer, 25-year-old Darius Walton, will be spending most of the rest of his life in prison for murdering Mr. Heard, the son of a police officer.
His Chicago criminal defense attorney asked for a lighter sentence because he suffers from mental illness, but Cook County Judge Stanley Sacks showed little mercy as he looked Mr. Walton in the eye and said the following:
"It's not great fun to sentence you, but you earned it."
Mr. Walton was sent to a psychiatric ward roughly four months before the Oct. 2007 incident because of hallucinations and violent behavior. He had five prior felony convictions before the shooting.
Just 23-years-old at the time, Mr. Heard was in line at the drive-through of the South Side White Castle when Mr. Walton approached and tried to sell him marijuana. He declined and Mr. Walton proceeded to the next car in line. The woman in that car also declined and an argument ensued, which prompted Mr. Heard to intervene.
That's when Mr. Walton pulled out a handgun and shot him five times.
It's unclear whether or not the woman actually was in danger before he came to her aid, but Judge Sacks referred to Mr. Heard as a "hero":
"He got involved. Most people wouldn't have gotten involved."
Mr. Walton apologized to Mr. Heard's family and then asked if he could hug his own mother before being taken away, but the judge did not allow any physical contact.
Related Resources:
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Murder: First Degree (FindLaw)
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High Court Hears Challenge to Chicago Handgun Law (FindLaw Blotter Blog)
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60-Year Sentence in 2007 Murder of Officer's Son (Chicago Tribune)
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Contact a Chicago Criminal Attorney (FindLaw)
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