Murder & Manslaughter in ChicagoMurder and manslaughter are crimes committed when one person takes the life of another, but the two are otherwise very different. Murder that is both willful and planned in advance is the most serious form of homicide and is referred to as first-degree murder. Second-degree murder is intentional but not premeditated, or is a homicide caused by dangerous acts in the absence of concern for others. While voluntary manslaughter is an intentional but unplanned killing commonly done “in the heat of passion,” involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional homicide resulting from an unlawful act such as a DUI. Homicide is considered the most serious spectrum of crimes, with first-degree murder being the most severe, best defended by an Illinois criminal attorney. Manslaughter convictions come with either probation or some prison time, while first-degree murder carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Chicago criminal defense attorneys can often assess your legal issue and help with developing a good defense strategy. You can find an attorney by viewing FindLaw's local directory of Chicago criminal defense attorneys. |
Charges have been filed against a man suspected of committing the horrendous Lynwood murder of Eugene White, and the kidnapping and sexual assault of his wife, Cecilia White, reports ABC 7 News.
Lynwood police have charged Calvin Griffin with murder and kidnapping after he was arrested on an unrelated charge on Thursday; however, they did not say what they believe Griffin’s motives may have been.
Englewood resident Michela L. Johnson has been charged with first-degree murder for the stabbing death of her husband on Monday, reports ABC7 News.
Her husband, Untre Johnson, reportedly died on Monday at John J. Stroger Jr. Hospital as a result of a severe stab wound to the back. Police believe Michela stabbed him during a domestic dispute earlier that day at her residence, according to ABC7.
Singer Avril Lavigne may have been a platinum-selling pop star in the early 2000s, but it’s not complicated - killing someone over Avril Lavigne tickets will land you in jail for a very long time.
Robert Lyons, the Carol Stream resident convicted of killing his mother over a botched buy of Avril Lavigne concert tickets, was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Monday, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
Cathleen Lewis was found beaten to death in her Naperville home last June. Police looked for her younger brother, Mark Lewis, to notify him of her death. After not finding him, the brother soon became a suspect in the sister's murder.
Now, six months later, Mark Lewis has been formally charged with murder. Lewis was eventually found in a Florida parking lot and is being sent back to Illinois to hear the criminal charges against him, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
So what would drive a brother to kill a sister?
Terry Bratcher learned that he will be spending the rest of his life in jail for the role he played in the robbery and murder of former Illinois State Rife Association vice president and attorney Carl Kuhn.
Bratcher was one of two men who hatched the scheme to rob and kill the 82-year-old Kuhn. His accomplice Keith Allen only received 46 years in jail. So why the difference?
In 1981, prosecutors say that Gary Albert told his 15-year-old girlfriend that he wanted nothing to do with her baby. Dawn Niles had just found out she was pregnant and was ready to tell her mother about the news.
To avoid responsibility, prosecutors say that Albert tried to convince his girlfriend to tell her mother that she was raped, or a different man got her pregnant, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently, she refused and as a result Albert is accused of brutally attacking her, stabbing her 34 times and leaving her dead body in the Cook County Forest Preserve.
Raymond Harris was going to propose to his girlfriend. Problem was he didn't have an engagement ring. So he brutally beat 73-year-old Virginia Perillo to death outside her Bridgeport home and stole her engagement and wedding rings.
Five days after the engagement ring murder, Harris proposed to his girlfriend using the dead woman's rings.
John Wilson has been charged in the murder of 14-year-old Kelli O’Laughlin. The Indian Head Park murder is just the latest charge for the 38-year-old parolee.
Last week, O’Laughlin was found stabbed to death in her two-story home, reports the Chicago Tribune. Police suspect that the high school freshman had returned home from school and walked in on a burglary attempt.
George Panos is accused of hiring a teenage friend to smother his dad. When the teen refused, Panos allegedly did the dirty work himself, killing his 78-year-old father.
Panos, 47, lived with his ailing dad in Glendale Heights. The father suffered from a variety of ailments, and it's believed that Panos was responsible for the old man's care, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
Judge James Booras recused himself from the Anthony Kelley case as the judge and defendant are members of the same church.
Anthony Kelley, 40, and his mother are accused of abusing their 74-year-old father and husband. The pair allegedly tied the bedridden elderly man to his bed with duct tape, beat him, and sprayed him with pepper spray, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. If convicted, each faces five years in jail.
