Prosecutors say a North Aspect man murdered a long-time acquaintance in a Rogers Park alley, then returned to the crime scene whereas cops have been nonetheless there to recuperate a cellphone he left behind. Valgas Etheard, who allegedly introduced clothes bearing gunshot residue and the sufferer’s blood with him on his cellphone quest, was ordered detained by Decide John Hock on a depend of first-degree homicide.
In accordance with prosecutors, Etheard and the sufferer, Terrell Fort, each 32, had identified one another since they have been youngsters. In July 2010, Fort allegedly shot Etheard, however the case was by no means prosecuted as a result of Etheard declined to press expenses, officers stated. The 2 crossed paths for the final time on September 5, 2024, outdoors a restaurant close to Howard Avenue and Damen Avenue.
Surveillance footage allegedly reveals Etheard standing outdoors the restaurant when Fort entered the enterprise round 5:35 p.m., then walked again out. Etheard adopted him, prosecutors stated in a detention submitting. For the following a number of minutes, a distant digicam recorded each males within the alley behind the 2000 block of West Howard Avenue, coming into and exiting the body. Prosecutors stated the video confirmed Etheard elevating his arm to chest degree simply earlier than Fort collapsed to the bottom.
A witness reported listening to a single gunshot, then seeing a person with dreadlocks bending over one other man who was mendacity immobile. One other witness noticed a person carrying a white shirt, darkish denims, and a black hat with dreadlocks go away the alley, adjusting his waistband as he walked north on Damen.
Police discovered Fort mendacity unarmed within the alley with a gunshot wound to the top. Investigators recovered a single 9mm shell casing and a rusted .45 caliber casing close by, together with a cellphone coated in blood.
Prosecutors stated that the cellphone belonged to Etheard.
After leaving the scene, Etheard allegedly went to his father’s close by residence, the place he instructed relations he had misplaced his cellphone. One member of the family known as the gadget in an effort to assist him find it, producing a document within the cellphone’s name log later recovered by detectives. Roughly half-hour after the taking pictures, safety cameras recorded Etheard coming into a neighborhood retailer to purchase a white shirt from a clerk who knew him as a daily buyer, prosecutors stated.
He then returned to the homicide scene whereas police have been nonetheless current, in search of his cellphone. Officers took him into custody carrying the identical garments seen on video from earlier. Inside his bag, police allegedly discovered a bloody white shirt, which later examined constructive for each gunshot residue and Fort’s DNA. The pocket of his denims additionally examined constructive for gunshot residue, whereas assessments of his palms have been adverse.
Detectives initially launched Etheard with out expenses, pending forensic testing.
Chicago cops arrested Etheard final week when he was launched from jail after serving time for driving on a suspended or revoked license. Prosecutors stated he admitted that he was within the alley with Fort on the day of the homicide, however he denied pulling the set off.
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