4th Cook County Jail Detainee Dies Of Coronavirus

CHICAGO, IL — A 64-year-old man awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges has become the fourth detainee to die of the coronavirus at the Cook County Jail. Karl Battiste, of Chicago, was pronounced dead on April 19 at Stroger Hospital. He had tested positive for the coronavirus, but his official cause of death is pending an autopsy, sheriff's officials said.

Battiste was booked into Cook County Jail on Jan. 15, 2019, and ordered held without bond on a first-degree murder charge. According to arrest reports, Battiste was accused of shooting and killing a man on Jan. 12, 2019, at an apartment building in the 7900 block of South Kingston Avenue.

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The Cook County Sheriff's Office said Battiste's criminal history dates back more than 40 years and includes convictions for voluntary manslaughter, armed robbery, robbery and domestic battery. He is the fourth person to die while in custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections after testing positive for the coronavirus.

At the end of the day on April 19, more than 194 detainees were experiencing mild to moderate coronavirus symptoms and being treated and monitored by Cermak Health Services, the jail's hospital. Another 21 detainees were being treated at local hospitals.

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