Another person allegedly involved in the shooting death of a Chicago judge surveilled the judge’s girlfriend for several weeks before the attack, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors were still underlining robbery as a motive at a bond hearing Thursday. Joshua Smith, 37, who is currently in custody in the killing, gave a statement to police on video saying that he had had an accomplice who had the judge’s girlfriend under surveillance for about two to three weeks before attempting to rob her, prosecutors said, ABC News reports.
Smith has been charged with first-degree murder, among other charges, in the shooting that left Associate Circuit Court Judge Raymond Myles dead and his 52-year-old girlfriend wounded.
The shooting occurred early Monday morning outside Myles’ home. The woman, who has still not been identified, walked out of the judge’s home first and spoke to the gunman before she was shot once in the leg, suffering a non-life-threatening injury. After hearing the commotion, Myles came out of the house and also exchanged words with the gunman before he was shot multiple times and was ultimately killed.
Myles and the woman were known to go out for early-morning workouts, according to the report.
Authorities say Smith maintains that he drove the accomplice to the judge’s home that morning and that it was the accomplice who pulled the trigger on the couple.
The accomplice then took the woman’s gym bag but tossed it after not finding any money, prosecutors said. Smith drove himself to a police station later that same day to “speak with detectives” and has been in custody ever since.
Police are still searching for the alleged gunman, who has not been named.
Read more at ABC News.
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