Watch CBS News

Second Person Charged With Fatal Beating In Park Manor

CHICAGO (STMW) -- A second person has been charged in connection the beating death of a Tennessee man in the Park Manor neighborhood earlier this year.

Tierra M. Williams, 29, of the 6600 block of South Rockwell, is charged with first-degree murder for the March 26 attack that left Anthony Morris dead in the 7000 block of South Vincennes Avenue, Chicago Police announced early Monday.

Williams is scheduled to appear in bond court on Monday, police said.

Aaron Smith, 28, was charged with murder on Oct. 21. He is being held on $1 million bond, according to court records.

Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith (Credit: Chicago Police)

About 1:30 p.m. the day of the attack, Morris met Smith to buy marijuana in the 7000 block of South Vincennes Avenue, but instead Morris decided to steal "a large quantity of marijuana," said Assistant State's Attorney Colleen Rogers.

After taking the drugs, Morris ran away and called a nearby friend to pick him up, Rogers said.

Smith and his acquaintances followed the vehicle and the group beat Morris a short distance later, Rogers said. When Morris attempted to crawl away, the group beat him until he laid motionless, Rogers said.

Witnesses said Smith picked up an object over the ground and used it to hit Morris in the head multiple times, Rogers said. The witnesses called 911 and Morris was taken in to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Morris, 27, of Jackson, Tenn., died at the hospital April 3 from complications from the head and brain injuries, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Smith, of the 6500 block of South Washtenaw, was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 2002 and 2004, according to court records. Smith's public defender noted he is a forklift operator and volunteers at church.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.