Man found guilty in 2003 murder of Aurora mother whose remains were found nearly two decades later

CHICAGO - A jury found Prince Cunningham guilty of murdering 22-year-old Tyesha Bell, whose remains were discovered in 2020, nearly 17 years after she disappeared following a meeting with Cunningham in 2003.

What we know:

Investigators said Bell left her Aurora apartment early in the morning on May 9th, 2003, to meet Prince Cunningham, the father of her two-year-old daughter. Bell’s mother reported her missing later that day after Bell never returned home.

Police said Bell’s ID was still inside the apartment and a candle had been left burning.

According to investigators, Cunningham initially denied being in a relationship with Bell and denied being the father of her child when he was first questioned by police.

For years, the case remained unsolved.

Then in December 2020, a surveyor discovered a human skull on property being developed in Montgomery. Investigators later recovered additional remains, which forensic testing confirmed belonged to Bell.

RELATED: Man indicted on murder charges for 2003 shooting death of Tyesha Bell

An autopsy determined Bell died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Investigators reopened the case as a homicide investigation, and Cunningham was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in 2022.

Prosecutors argued Cunningham killed Bell, at least in part, to stop her from pursuing formal child support payments through the court system.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony that Bell had previously taken Cunningham to court for child support and that money had been deducted from his paycheck before the case was later dropped.

Prosecutors also said Bell told friends and family she expected to receive a large cash payment from Cunningham for a car the night she disappeared.

An appeals court previously ruled jurors could hear statements Bell made to loved ones before her disappearance, finding there was enough evidence for the testimony to be considered at trial.

Family members cried and embraced after the guilty verdict was read in court Wednesday.

What they're saying:

"And I was hoping all those years that she’d just show up one day, but she never did. So heartbreaking," Tiffany James, Bell’s friend, said.

"I always think if she was here, she’d be doing this with me or doing that. She was always like someone you know that you thought would be around," Talisha Davis, Bell’s friend, said.

"He cheated us out of a little sister. He cheated her children out of their mother. When those girls get married or have babies, they need their mother there. Most importantly, he took her away from her mother," Shaquisha Posey, Bell’s older sister, said.

What's next:

Cunningham will be face sentencing July 31 at 1:30 p.m.