Kevin Edwards and Tyshawn Lee
With the arrest and charge of first degree murder being filed against Corey Morgan last month in the case of Tyshawn Lee, the public has seemingly forgotten there is still another suspect on the loose in that case and the three previous murders tied to the case are still unsolved. The Laquan McDonald case has dominated the headlines in recent weeks, the families of other victims have been forgotten. Those families are still seeking justice, which ironically includes Corey Morgan.
Morgan’s brother, Tracey was shot and killed and their mother wounded during a drive by on October 13. This incident is believed to have led to the tragic retaliation death that took place on November 2. Tracey Morgan was targeted after leaving a gang call-in meeting with police and local agencies seeking to give those in the gang life an alternative to the street life. Morgan was on parole at the time and may have been trying to leave the gang life he had been involved in when he was murdered, according to two of his friends, who spoke with the Crusader under the condition they remained anonymous.
“This is not a lifestyle you can just up and say ‘I’m out,’ whenever you want in some cases,” said the source. “There is jealousy involved if people see you trying to do something positive. I’m not saying Tracey was done, but you know, who knows what was in his heart.”
“You are all the time watching over your back for cops, enemies…and wondering if someone is going to kick down your door,” said another friend. “And you got a lot of family members who you have to hide what you are doing because you know they ain’t gonna approve of this. I think a lot of us want to stop but don’t know what else to do.”
The Chicago Police Department believes Morgan was killed by a member of the Killer Wards, whose members include Pierre Stokes, the father of Lee, in an ongoing gang dispute.
The October 18 murder of Brianna Jenkins, 20, is also still an open investigation. Jenkins was sitting in a car with a friend in the 7800 block of South Honore around 4:30 p.m. when a person approached the car and began firing. Jenkins was pronounced dead on the scene, while the intended target, who police say was a member of the Killer Wards, escaped the ambush.
Police have no leads in the case, but believe Jenkins was caught up in the middle of the gang war. A friend of Stokes told the news website The Daily Beast, that they believed members of the Bang Bang Gang killed Jenkins by accident.
The third unsolved murder revolves around Adarius Hayes, 21, found shot dead in a vehicle on Aug. 5 in the 7500 block of South Damen. Hayes was a documented gang member as well. Former police Superintendent Garry McCarthy vowed to “obliterate” both gangs before his forced resignation following the debacle of the McDonald case. Police received many tips on the Lee case, but a police source has said that same cooperation has not been as forthcoming with the other cases related to it.
A CPD spokesperson said Kevin Edwards, 22, is still on the loose. Edwards is the third suspect in the Lee murder. It is not known what role he may have played but a first-degree murder warrant has been issued.
“There were three people, we’re pretty certain, acting in concert,” McCarthy said last month. “Who drove the car, who was on the scene, who pulled the trigger, is all being worked on.”
Edwards is considered armed and dangerous. If you have any information on any of these cases, you can contact Area One detectives at (312) 747-8380.
