Police charged a man with murder after allegedly killing his girlfriend's drug dealer. The Chicago Tribune reports that he did this out of anger after learning she had gone to the man to purchase marijuana.
According to the prosecution M.O., 19, pretended that he also wanted to purchase drugs to meet up with the man so that he could shoot him.
Criminal Court Judge Adam Bourgeois ordered M.O., formally charged with first-degree murder, to be held without bail. On September 20, 2012 M.O. allegedly killed E.C., 25, in front of E.C.'s home in Humboldt Park.
M.O. was already being held behind bars at the time of his arrest. According to both court and police records, M.O. had been in jail since December 12 in regards to a heroin charge. M.O. was also on probation for a November DUI charge. He had pleaded guilty in that case.
Both the prosecution and the police have not stated why M.O. is now being charged in the murder case. However, according to the prosecution, there are several witnesses that have claimed that M.O. is directly connected to E.C.'s murder.
Assistant State's Attorney Allison Sise said that the plan to murder E.C. allegedly began when M.O. learned that his girlfriend had gone to E.C.'s home and purchased marijuana from him. M.O. made verbal threats to "take care" of E.C. – which was witnessed by his girlfriend and other people. He then left in a red car and drove to E.C.'s home.
E.C. was not at home at the time but E.C.'s girlfriend was. M.O. reportedly told her that he wanted to buy some drugs from E.C. He then left again in the red car.
M.O. later returned to E.C.'s home again, and, as E.C.'s girlfriend witnessed, E.C. gave M.O. his phone number. Then M.O. left E.C.'s home a second time.
At approximately 11:35 p.m. M.O. called E.C., who then left his home to meet M.O. and sell him the marijuana. E.C.'s girlfriend again witnessed the phone call, and moments later, the sound of gunfire in front of the home. Finally, she witnessed a figure racing away wearing the same style and color sweatshirt she had earlier seen on M.O.
Another witness, someone who was told what M.O. looked like, saw a man or boy that fit the description getting into a red car. That second witness later identified the person that fled in the red car as M.O. A third witness allegedly met M.O. after the shooting and M.O. confessed what he had done.
Investigators determined that M.O. called E.C. three minutes before the killing. Further phone records placed M.O. in the area of E.C.'s home during the shooting. Along with being on probation for the current DUI, according to the prosecution, M.O. is also on a two-year for a charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Whether this is your first or most current criminal charge contact a criminal defense attorney to best represent you in court! Don't delay, begin working on your defense with a lawyer right away.
