IL - Attorneys Thomas Johnson & wife Leslie Jones, found stabbed to death, Chicago, 15 Apr 2020

[Yemelyan]

I had hoped this would be solved by now. It's one of those cases that make you wonder why such a horrible thing happened to such good people. Here's a recent article about something their family is doing to remember them:

Visual arts scholarship honors Leslie Ann Jones

 

[BeckyF]

I had hoped this would be solved by now. It's one of those cases that make you wonder why such a horrible thing happened to such good people. Here's a recent article about something their family is doing to remember them:

Visual arts scholarship honors Leslie Ann Jones

I can’t find any updates on this investigation. JMO but I wonder if the murders were in retaliation for a police officer being charged with a crime due to the husband serving as
Chicago Police Board hearing officer. From the article:
He presided over more than 350 administrative disciplinary cases, including the case of former officer Robert Rialmo, who mistakenly shot and killed Bettie Jones in 2015, and the cases of four other officers who were found to have lied about the Laquan McDonald shooting.
Husband and wife attorneys found in Oak Park home were stabbed to death: autopsy

 

[Yemelyan]

I can’t find any updates on this investigation. JMO but I wonder if the murders were in retaliation for a police officer being charged with a crime due to the husband serving as
Chicago Police Board hearing officer. From the article:
He presided over more than 350 administrative disciplinary cases, including the case of former officer Robert Rialmo, who mistakenly shot and killed Bettie Jones in 2015, and the cases of four other officers who were found to have lied about the Laquan McDonald shooting.
Husband and wife attorneys found in Oak Park home were stabbed to death: autopsy

I guess anything is possible.

The fact that they were stabbed multiple times makes it seem like something a "professional" would not do. Like it happened in a frenzy or maybe by someone who knew them personally.

They did a lot of charitable work as well and I wonder if that brought someone into their circle who had less than great intentions or possibly was mentally unstable?

 

[Cryptic]

He presided over more than 350 administrative disciplinary cases, including the case of former officer Robert Rialmo, who mistakenly shot and killed Bettie Jones in 2015, and the cases of four other officers who were found to have lied about the Laquan McDonald shooting.

Wow, 350 cases. I wonder how many involved a criminal or termination penalty for the officer and likewise, involved potentially serious harm to a member of the public?

Though each serious case could have the potential to anger both the officer and a citizen, officers would seem to be more likely to retaliate against a board member as a negative decision impacts them directly. In contrast, an angered citizen may not even know the board exists.

 

[oviedo]

This is so odd to me - prominent attorneys found dead and no new reporting that I can find? it's been almost 2 months and no one cares to follow up? What is going on here? Seems as if everyone agreed to stop reporting??? IMO.
JMO

 

[BeckyF]

I guess anything is possible.

The fact that they were stabbed multiple times makes it seem like something a "professional" would not do. Like it happened in a frenzy or maybe by someone who knew them personally.

They did a lot of charitable work as well and I wonder if that brought someone into their circle who had less than great intentions or possibly was mentally unstable?

Yes, I hadn’t thought of the stabbing being something a professional wouldn’t do. You are probably right about that. So little has been reported about the case it’s hard to say. We don’t know if they had a security system (I would assume they would), how the perpetrator gained entrance, etc.

 

[BeckyF]

This is so odd to me - prominent attorneys found dead and no new reporting that I can find? it's been almost 2 months and no one cares to follow up? What is going on here? Seems as if everyone agreed to stop reporting??? IMO.
JMO

It is very odd. I don’t know what to think of it.

 

[BeckyF]

Remember Drew Peterson put out a hit on either the prosecutor or the judge, I can’t remember which it was, in his case. And he did it from prison. JMO

 

[JosieMae]

Seems like a very personal crime to me.

 

[oviedo]

Seems like a very personal crime to me.

I agree and perhaps that is why there is no MSM coverage?
JMO

 

[Number8]

I also find the lack of coverage/updates extremely odd. They've kept mum about details you would assume would be released by now, unless I've missed something. For example: was there evidence of a break-in? What time is it estimated they were murdered (they were discovered around 7:30pm because of a welfare check, so how long were they missing before someone called police)? What were their activities like in the days preceding? Do they have a murder weapon?

 

[kay74]

For people being this popular, you would think this would be solved by now. But then, look at post #57.

 

[roguelady]

My thought is the murderer was someone mentally unstable and/or of a criminal element who had ties to the couple at some point in the recent past. A person who had perhaps even been helped by them and even welcomed into their home. Unfortunately we have seen similar scenarios here on WS. Well meaning people who truly want to help and they are repaid by literally being stabbed in the back. Hopefully there is DNA evidence from the crime scene and so we can only hope the police are close to making an arrest. All my opinion only.

 

[Andieinsyd]

Thanks for joining us Konton. I’m sorry that you and the family have had to face the deaths of two people who were so loved and respected.

Appreciate your perspective, again thanks for joining the discussion.

 

[Falcon500]

Chicago-area police, and I lump Oak Park in there, too, are not particularly gifted crime solvers these days if their stats say anything about it.

Oak Park had two homicides in 2018. One was a domestic assault as a result of a mental health situation and the other is an unsolved stabbing of an elderly man in his home. Go figure.

You have no idea about what Chicago’s homicide unit is going through right now. Let’s say they have have a shift of 15 detectives ready to work on a Friday night. Each one has ten or more unsolved murder cases, twenty natural deaths, and three suicides on his desk. Each detective hopes to do some follow up work, interview witnesses again, or talk to suspects. But by 4:05 the first shooting has come in and by




9pm there are bodies all over Chicago and guess who has to handle the cases? In the meantime people are having fatal heart attacks, hanging themselves, and falling down elevator shafts. Each of these cases has to be investigated.

Let’s be careful about throwing around “ not gifted crime solvers”. If given the time this case would be closed. Unfortunately the people of Chicago won’t stop dying.

 

[BeckyF]

Chicago-area police, and I lump Oak Park in there, too, are not particularly gifted crime solvers these days if their stats say anything about it.

Oak Park had two homicides in 2018. One was a domestic assault as a result of a mental health situation and the other is an unsolved stabbing of an elderly man in his home. Go figure.

It seems as if this was a targeted murder of 2 people. Since so little has been released in terms of the investigation and the FBI is involved, just MO you shouldn’t point fingers at local law enforcement. IMO

 

[BeckyF]

I am not in law enforcement.

 

[neesaki]

BeckyF said:
I am not in law enforcement.

It doesn’t sound like Konton was implying you are in law enforcement, or did I miss something?

 

[kay74]

You have no idea about what Chicago’s homicide unit is going through right now. Let’s say they have have a shift of 15 detectives ready to work on a Friday night. Each one has ten or more unsolved murder cases, twenty natural deaths, and three suicides on his desk. Each detective hopes to do some follow up work, interview witnesses again, or talk to suspects. But by 4:05 the first shooting has come in and by




9pm there are bodies all over Chicago and guess who has to handle the cases? In the meantime people are having fatal heart attacks, hanging themselves, and falling down elevator shafts. Each of these cases has to be investigated.

Let’s be careful about throwing around “ not gifted crime solvers”. If given the time this case would be closed. Unfortunately the people of Chicago won’t stop dying.

This is Oak Park, not Chicago!

 

[Manwel]

This is Oak Park, not Chicago!

And Oak Park is a short car ride or train ride away from Chicago, where these victims worked in a Chicago law practice. They are likely cooperating together because the victims' place of business was in the jurisdiction of Chicago PD and this incident may be related to their work in the city of Chicago.

The Chicago AREA has a long history of struggling with solve rates, they have at least one or two serial killers of black women on the loose on the South Side of Chicago, and unfortunately there is a lot of community distrust. It's unfortunate but a reality.