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Family remembers Charity Geisel as man charged in her killing returns to Illinois
Police found Charity Geisel dead inside her home in Elgin last Sunday. Four days later, the man charged with her killing is back in Illinois and for the first time, her family is sharing more about her.
ELGIN, Ill. - An Elgin man is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend with a dumbbell, choking her and stabbing her in the throat before fleeing to Indiana.
What we know:
Elgin police responded to Charity Geisel's home in the 300 block of Princeton Avenue around 10:43 a.m. Aug. 30, where the 52-year-old woman was found dead.
Prosecutors allege Christian Flores, 54, killed Geisel on Aug. 29 during an assault.
Christian B. Flores
According to court documents, Flores allegedly struck Geisel numerous times with a 20-pound dumbbell, choked her and used a large butcher-type knife to stab her in the throat three separate times.
Investigators later located Flores in northwest Indiana, where he was arrested the evening of Aug. 30. He has since been extradited to Illinois.
Autopsy findings
The Kane County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy Aug. 31.
Preliminary findings determined Geisel died from blunt- and sharp-force injuries sustained during an assault.
Flores’ criminal history
Court documents say Flores has a prior theft conviction involving property valued at more than $300 but less than $10,000.
He received 24 months of probation and spent 38 days in jail in that case.
Detention petition
Kane County prosecutors are petitioning the state to keep Flores detained as his case moves forward.
According to court documents, "the defendant’s pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community."
What we don't know:
It remains unclear why Flores allegedly killed Geisel.
What they're saying:
Geisel’s family described her as loving, kind and supportive.
"Charity was a light in every room she walked into," her family said. "She gave love and kindness so freely, was silly and fun to be around, and would drop everything to help anyone who needed it."
Another family statement described Geisel as "the sweetest, kindest woman on earth" and "the best mother one could hope for."
Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley also offered condolences to Geisel’s family and thanked Elgin and Chesterton, Indiana, police for their work in the investigation.
What's next:
Flores’ first court appearance in Kane County is scheduled for Sept. 11.
The Source: The information in this story came from Kane County court documents, the Elgin Police Department, the Kane County Coroner’s Office, and statements from Geisel’s family.