Man Proposes to Woman with Rings He Stole from Dead Woman

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 10, 2011 8:40PM

Raymond Harris: (Image Credit: Chicago Police Department)

Bridgeport residents have expressed shock at the Oct. 22 beating death of 73-year-old Virginia Perillo. The story took a morbid turn today with the arrest of a man in connection with the murder.

Raymond Harris was on parole for attempted murder when he allegedly beat Perillo to death in her garage. Harris then reportedly stole Perillo's wedding and engagement rings and used them to propose to his girlfriend.

Harris later attended a party and, according to assistant state's attorney Melissa Howlett, showed off the rings to a friend and asked which one of them he should use to propose to his girlfriend. (He later gave her both rings.)

Authorities tracked down the man's fiancee and retrieved one of the rings, which was identified by Perillo's family. Harris was released in May after serving 13 years of a 30-year sentence for attempted murder and arson. In that case, he raped and beat a woman for several hours, set three fires in her home and left her for dead. The woman woke up with her legs on fire and suffered third-degree burns. He's been ordered held without bail for Perillo's murder.