FBI Offers $25K Reward In 'Senseless' Fatal Shooting Of Judge

By Stephen Gossett in News on Apr 10, 2017 5:20PM

A Cook County judge was killed and a woman was wounded on Monday morning in a shooting in West Chesterfield, police said.

Raymond Myles, 66, an associate judge in Cook County's criminal division, and a 52-year-old woman were found outside a home in the 9400 block of S Forest Ave. at around 4:51 a.m. The woman had been shot in the leg and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, according to police. First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said her injury is non-life-threatening. Judge Myles suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was taken to the same hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"You have our word that we will not let Judge Myles' life be lost in vain, and we will hold his killer accountable," said Navarro at a press conference on Monday morning.

A neighbor told the Tribune that she heard about six shots and a woman screaming early in the morning. She told the paper that she believes Myles and the woman were leaving home to go to a health club.

Police said the woman was shot after she left the residence, came across a person with a gun and "words were exchanged," Chief of Detectives Melissa Staples said at the press conference. Myles then came outside after hearing the gunshots, exchanged words and was shot multiple times, Staples said. Police said it appeared that no property was taken from the victims or the residence, but the attack may have started as a robbery attempt.

The Sun-Times reports that Myles—who presided in prominent cases such as the murders of three family members of actress/singer Jennifer Hudson and pretrial stages of the infamous Brown's Chicken massacre—was beaten in 2016 after what appears to have been a road-rage altercation.

Chief police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that FBI Chicago is assisting the Chicago Police Department with the investigation and a $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

The @FBIChicago is assisting CPD in the murder investigation of Judge Raymond Myles and are offering a $25,000 reward leading to suspect

— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) April 10, 2017

Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County Timothy Evans said in a statement:

"I join all of the judges today in the Circuit Court of Cook County in expressing our sadness regarding the tragic passing of our colleague and friend, Associate Judge Raymond Myles. I offer my deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues in the Criminal Division."

UPDATE: Notifications have been made in the senseless murder of Judge Raymond Myles. Detectives making progress in the investigation

— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) April 10, 2017