Chicago man charged in killing of 88-year-old mother hid body in basement room: prosecutors
Man charged with murder of 88-year-old woman
An elderly woman who was missing more than a week was found dead on the south side. A man is charged with murder. Joanie Lum is live at Area Two police headquarters.
CHICAGO - This story includes graphic and disturbing details. Reader discretion is advised.
A Chicago man charged in the death of an 88-year-old woman on the city’s South Side is her son, and prosecutors say he hid her body inside their home after a fatal attack last month.
What we know:
Kevan Works, 66, is charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a death in the killing of his mother, Daniest Graves, according to Chicago police.
Prosecutors say Works had been living with Graves at her home in the 10700 block of South Lafayette in the Roseland neighborhood since Thanksgiving.
Officers say Graves was discovered dead inside the home on April 7. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide.
[L-R] Kevan Works and Daniest Graves. (Chicago Police Department)
According to court documents, Graves’ body was found in the basement, hidden in a room blocked by a large bookcase. Police said she was rolled up in a large rug, partially wrapped in black garbage bags and secured with duct tape. Blankets, clothing, mail and other debris were also wrapped inside the rug with her body, according to investigators.
An autopsy found Graves suffered 17 blunt force injuries, including a large, open wound to the top of her head that exposed her skull. She also had defensive wounds and cuts to her forearm and thumb, prosecutors said.
The backstory:
Graves had been reported missing after family members became concerned when they had not heard from her.
Prosecutors say she was last seen March 26, when she went shopping with her sister and dropped her off around 2:30 p.m.
Family members became concerned the next day when Graves did not send her usual early morning prayer text — something she sent around 4 a.m. every day — and failed to show up for work. She also missed planned outings and church services in the days that followed.
When her sister went to check on her at the home on March 29, Works answered the door and appeared startled, according to prosecutors. He told her Graves was not home and physically prevented her from entering the house. Prosecutors say Works instead went inside and brought back an air freshener for her before she left and contacted police.
During a well-being check, Works told officers he had not seen his mother since March 27 and said she had gone to work, according to prosecutors. He also told officers her bedroom door was locked and that he did not have a key. Officers forced entry into the room and found Graves’ phone inside, but not Graves.
Investigators later determined the phone was last active at the home on March 29.
The investigation
During the search for Graves, officers located her car on the city’s West Side.
A witness told investigators that Works and an unidentified woman brought the car to her on March 27 and exchanged it for crack, according to prosecutors. The witness then drove Works and the woman back to the home.
The witness told police there were two large black garbage bags in the car. Prosecutors say Works asked her to have her children throw the bags away, but she refused. The bags were later removed from the vehicle.
On Tuesday, officers executed a search warrant at the home. With the help of cadaver dogs, they located Graves’ body in the basement.
Investigators said they also recovered a folding knife with suspected blood on it near where Works was sitting, along with other items including a hammer, brass knuckles and a large bottle of bleach.
Authorities said suspected blood and what appeared to be dried bleach were found on the floor of Graves’ bedroom. Dryer sheets, coffee grounds and numerous air fresheners were also found throughout parts of the home, including the basement, according to prosecutors.
Police said Graves’ purse and wallet were found inside a garbage can in the garage.
In the attic, investigators found Graves’ jewelry boxes opened and emptied, with the contents laid out, appearing to have been recently cleaned.
Ring surveillance video from a nearby home showed Works going in and out of the house multiple times between March 26 and April 7, according to prosecutors. Graves was not seen leaving the home after returning from shopping on March 26.
The video also showed Works entering the home with an unidentified woman on the night of March 27. She was seen leaving later that night.
What's next:
Works was arrested Tuesday morning in the same neighborhood where Graves was found.
He was ordered detained, and his next court date is April 29 for a status hearing.
A history of criminal activity
Prosecutors say Works has a lengthy criminal history dating back decades.
That history includes a 2007 federal conviction for bank robbery, for which he served more than seven years in prison.
He also has prior convictions for drug possession, retail theft, forgery and burglary, according to prosecutors.
Court records also show Works was found responsible for a first-degree murder as a juvenile in 1976.
The Source: Details for this story were provided by previous reporting from Fox Chicago's Joanie Lum, as well an information from Chicago police, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.