Lake County (IN) authorities have filed multiple charges against Riley Choate in the 2009 death of his son Christian and we get a chill in our spine with every new detail that emerges from this case. more ›

The man accused of shooting and killing Chicago Police officer Thor Soderberg was formally charged in the officer's death last night. Bryant Brewer, 24, was charged with one count of murder for the death of Officer Soderberg as well as one count of attempted murder and one count of armed robbery for his attack on a nearby construction worker moments after he shot Soderberg. Detective Allen Szudarski told reporters yesterday that Brewer admitted to the crimes. Brewer is no stranger to the penal system though he had served little time in jail even after admitting to shooting his brother in 2006. According to the Sun-Times: more ›

A third suspect was charged in the death of Chicago Police Officer Thomas Wortham who was killed while off-duty, leaving his parents' Chatham home. Marcus Floyd, 19, who was injured by gunfire in the incident, was charged with felony murder, attempted armed robbery, and discharge of a firearm yesterday upon regaining consciousness; he remains hospitalized. Charges had previously been filed against Paris McGee, 20, and Toyious Taylor, 29, in the May 19th shooting. A fourth suspect, Brian Floyd, was killed in the exchange of gunfire between the suspects and Wortham and his father. Police allege the two Floyds approached Wortham as he was leaving his parents' house following dinner and attempted to rob him of his motorcycle. Wortham's father, a retired police officer, came to his son's aid and gunfire was exchanged in which Brian Floyd was killed and Marcus Floyd injured. McGee and Taylor fled in a car which struck Wortham and dragged his body a quarter-of-a-mile. more ›

Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow and the FBI are preparing to announce new charges in the 2004 murder of three-year old Riley Fox. Riley was taken from her Wilmington home after which she was raped and killed by drowning, her body found in a nearby creek. Prosecutors had originally charged Riley's father, Kevin Fox, with her murder as well as sexual assault before DNA evidence vindicated him in 2005 after spending over eight months in jail. Fox and his wife were eventually awarded $8 million in damages. more ›

Murder charges have been filed against two suspects in the shooting death of Chicago Police officer Thomas Wortham IV. Paris McGee, 20, and Toyious Taylor, 29, have each been charged with a count of first degree murder and attempted armed robbery. Charges are pending against a third suspect who remains hospitalized, wounded by gunfire during the incident. CPD Supt. Jody Weis addressed the media last night but didn't comment on speculation by Lucille Floyd, the mother of Brian Floyd, the fourth suspect that was killed by gunfire during the incident, that the attempted robbery came about as a dare after a drinking game. more ›

The landlord and building manager of the Cicero building where seven people were killed in a Valentine's Day fire will each be charged with seven counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated arson, officials announced last night. Three fire-fighters were also hurt battling the blaze. Cicero Town President Larry Dominick said via a statement, "I'm very angry about this. The lives of seven innocent people were taken so cruelly and with clear malice. This is a heinous crime." All seven people killed were under the age of 21: Byron Reed, 20, Sallie Gist, 19, their sons Rayshawn Reed, 3, and Brian Reed, 3 days old, Sallie's twin brother and sister, Elijah Gist and Elisha Gist, both 16, and family friend Tiera Davidson, 18. more ›

As the Chicago Police Department reels from the death of 21-year department veteran, Sgt. Alan Haymaker, CPD Supt. Jody Weis is mulling murder charges for burglary suspects who he suggest should be held responsible for Haymaker's death. Haymaker died early Monday morning when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving down Lake Shore Drive and slammed into a tree. He was responding to a reported burglary at a cell phone store in the 3100 block of N. Clark Street. Weis says that he's now in talks with the Cook County state's attorney's office about possibly charging the burglars with felony murder should they be caught. Said Weis, "Under Illinois statutes it appears they could be charged with murder... that is something I think that we'll be looking at with the state's attorney's office. But I think it's something that we certainly will consider." Experts the Tribune talked to seemed skeptical about the possibility such charges would stick because it would have to be proved "the burglar should have foreseen his actions could cause the death of a police officer responding to the burglary." more ›

A 14 year old student from Fenger High School has been charged in the September beating death of fellow student Derrion Albert. The student is the fourth currently charged in the murder; Silvonus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, and Eric Carson, 16, are all being held for the murder. Another teen, Eugene Bailey, has since been released after charges against him were dropped. [Tribune] more ›

Though police had charged two teens - Reo Jonta Thompson, 17, and Gregory Brooks Jr., 18 - with several counts related to the murders of Ruby and Milton McClendon, they had yet to file murder charges against them even as it was reported one of the teens confessed. That all changed today as both teens were charged with two counts of murder in the perpetration of a robbery. The teens also claimed there was a third person with them, named Kevin Langley. CBS 2 reports, "The teens reportedly have blamed each other for the shootings, and charging affidavits do not detail the killings...investigators do not believe Kevin Langley is a real person." The pair, arrested last week in Cook County, have since been extradited back to Indiana where they are each being held on $250,000 bail. more ›

Murder charges have been dropped for one of the teens charged in the beating death of Derrion Albert. Prosecutors have not indicated why they dropped the charges against Eugene Bailey, 17, the teen previously alleged to have delivered the "knockout punch" that killed Albert. Charges are still in place for three other teens alleged to have played a role in Albert's death during a brawl near Fenger High School: Silvonus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, and Eric Carson, 16. more ›

Some legal wrangling went down this week in the case against Drew Peterson, set to stand trial for the murder of wife #3, Kathleen Savio. Among the more notables moves made, Judge Stephen White asked prosecutors to cut their witness list down from a mind-boggling 805 to 50. One battle prosecutors did win was an attempt by Peterson's defense team to make the large amount of discovery evidence "easier to navigate." John Connor, the chief of the major crime unit for the state's attorney, claimed, "I think what the counsel is asking us to do is give them CliffsNotes on this," and said all the information the defense was seeking was available in the evidence. Another issue raised by Peterson's attorney - whether three key state witnesses received compensation for their testimony - will be reviewed and ruled on by Judge White at a July 10 hearing. [Sun-Times] more ›

Yesterday afternoon, Chicago Police arrested two men in connection with the Monday shooting death of police officer Alejandro "Alex" Valadez and charged each with one count of first-degree murder of a peace officer, one count of first-degree murder, and one count of attempted murder. more ›