An Aurora man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he killed two innocent women in a drive-by shooting.
A Kendall County judge handed 31-year-old James Brown two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of Cassandra and Changina Chatman. After a four-day trial, followed by three hours of deliberation, a jury found Brown guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.
"The case was senseless on so many fronts. Thankfully we have provided not only justice for the community, but certainly some amount of closure for the Chatman family. Gangs have no place in Kendall County. ... Hopefully this will deter others from coming to Kendall to commit crimes of violence," said Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis, reported Patch.
In the morning of Nov. 11, 2020, officers responded to a home on Sierra Road in the unincorporated Boulder Hill subdivision after reports of several gunshots. Upon arrival, they found Cassandra and her daughter Changina suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving measures and both women being rushed to a nearby hospital, they both succumbed to their injuries months apart.
According to FOX 32, the shooting was in connection with a gangland hit that resulted in 14 gunshots from an AK-47 rifle at the home with six occupants, while the intended target survived the ordeal.
Authorities retrieved video footage from neighborhood cameras that identified a black Porsche Cayenne during the shooting. Soon, investigators tracked the defendant’s vehicle to North Aurora, which led them to a home where they arrested Brown, a self-identified Balck Disciple Street Gang member, and other people at the residence. The murder weapon was also found in the defendant’s car.
A co-defendant Jaquarance Handley, 35, was also charged in connection with the shooting. Handley’s hearing is slated for July 11.
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