Man charged with killing 51-year-old woman at her Woodlawn apartment
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A man was charged with the killing of a 51-year-old woman who was found beaten and stabbed to death Saturday morning at her apartment in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood.
At 8:11 a.m., 58-year-old Derrick Smith called 911 and said he had killed the woman inside the apartment in the 6600 block of South Minerva, according to court records. When officers arrived, they found the woman laying on her back with “massive injuries to her upper body” and blood coming from her head and face. She was naked from the waist down.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, Chicago Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
An autopsy Sunday found she died from multiple injuries suffered in an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said. Her identity has not been released.
During the attack, the woman suffered more than 20 contusions and five stab wounds to her head, as well as a stab wounds to her chest and neck, court records show.
The killing is believed to be domestic in nature, police said.
Smith, who had blood on his face and clothing when officers arrived at the apartment, was recorded admitting to the killing by an officer, court records show. A bloody knife and a metal baton that was bent were found near the woman’s body alongside her walker.
Following an investigation, detectives learned that Smith took a photo of the woman and sent it to a family member about 25 minutes before he called 911, court records show. He later called the same family member and admitted to the killing.
Smith, of the South Shore neighborhood, was taken into custody and charged with a felony count of first-degree murder, authorities said.
Smith was hospitalized following his arrest. As a result, he wasn’t present at a Monday court hearing, where he was ordered held without bond. His next court date was set for March 4.