Cook County Judge's Murder Was 'Targeted Robbery': Cops

CHICAGO, IL — A 37-year-old man is the first suspect arrested and charged in the murder of a Cook County judge earlier this week outside his South Side home that investigators are now calling a "targeted robbery," according to Chicago police. Joshua Smith was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and obstruction in Monday's early morning shooting, which also left a woman, 52, wounded. Although police officials would not say what Smith's role was in the killing, multiple reports have identified him as the alleged driver of the getaway car seen in video footage from neighborhood security cameras leaving the fatal shooting.

Smith — who served six years in prison on an armed robbery with a firearm conviction in 2003 — was arrested when he drove himself to the Area South division Monday to talk to detectives, Chief of Detectives Melissa Staples said at a press conference Wednesday. Because the investigation "remains very open, active and ongoing," Staples said she could not go into many details about the charges against Smith. He is scheduled Thursday to appear in bond court when more information about the case will be disclosed, she added.

SIGN UP: Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for the South Side and Chicago — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.

Judge Raymond Myles, 66, was shot multiple times at his West Chesterfield home in the 9400 block of South Forest Avenue after confronting a suspect who had moments earlier shot and wounded the judge's girlfiend in the leg. The couple was leaving Myles' home, on their way to work out, when the shooting happened, according to police.

"We believe this was a targeted robbery," Staples said, but she wouldn't say if the target was the judge or the woman. Myles' position and time on the bench, however, were not factors in the shooting, she said.

"The motive of this crime is robbery, which we do not believe is random. Nor do we believe that Smith acted alone," Staples added, refusing again to reveal how many suspects were involved. But law enforcement sources told the Chicago Tribune that police are still after two more suspects, including the gunman.

In the past 48 hours since the shooting, investigators have reviewed video from neighborhood security cameras and recovered evidence from the scene that has allowed them to build a timeline of the incident, Staples said. Detectives also are continuing to interview "any and all possible suspects" in the case, she added.

On Tuesday night, tactical officers recovered the getaway car — a red 2005 Pontiac Sunfire — when they noticed a vehicle matching its description with different front and rear plates in the Calumet District, Staples said. The car's owner was interviewed, but detectives don't believe that person is connected to the shooting, she added. A ballistics trace on shell casings from the murder weapon found at the scene determined that the gun also was used in a January armed robbery in the 7th District in which the suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound, said Staples, adding that police believe the use of the same firearm is the only connection between the two shootings.

During the press conference, Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward) praised the work done by the Chicago Police Department and thanked residents for their cooperation in the investigation.

"The community has stepped up more than I can possibly tell you. … They have really just made me proud, stepping up, helping the police solve this murder," he said.

Beale also urged residents to honor the judge's legacy by installing security cameras around their homes. Myles had encouraged his neighbors to install cameras, and they have been key tools for investigators in the case, highlighting "why every homeowner should have them," Staples said.

"I can tell you that the placement and the concentration of cameras in and outside of the judge's neighborhood was very instrumental for detectives to get a jumpstart on this case by catching and capturing the license plate of the vehicle that was used in this incident," she said.

WATCH: Chicago police discuss the arrest of Joshua Smith in connection with the murder of Judge Raymond Myles:

UPDATED (8:35 p.m. Wednesday, April 12)

ORIGINAL STORY

CHICAGO, IL — The car seen in video footage from neighborhood security cameras leaving the fatal shooting of Cook County judge earlier this week outside his South Side home has been found by Chicago police, and charges in the case could be filed as early as Thursday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Officers discovered it at around 11 p.m. Tuesday in the Calumet District. Investigators interviewed the car's driver, but they don't believe that person is connected to the attack, which also wounded a 52-year-old woman, the report added.

Judge Raymond Myles, 66, was shot multiple times early Monday morning outside his West Chesterfield home in the 9400 block of South Forest Avenue as he was on his way to work out, according to police. The woman who was shot — identified as a close associate of the judge who was accompanying him to the gym — suffered a non-life threatening wound to her leg, police said. Investigators don't know if the judge was the initial target, but they are looking at the possibility that the incident might have been a robbery-turned-shooting, even though nothing had been stolen.

Police have identified other people of interest tied to the car and are questioning them, the Sun-Times reports. Physical evidence and security camera video from the South Side neighborhood where the judge lived also have been recovered by detectives. Coincidentally, investigators are using the video from cameras that Myles urged neighbors to install in order to help solve the judge's murder, the report added.

At a Monday press conference, police officials said it's unclear whether Myles, a longtime associate judge in Cook County Circuit Court's Criminal Division was the suspect's original target or if the killing was connected to his role on the bench. Threats had been made against the judge in the past, but police don't know if those are connected to the shooting.

Over the years, Myles had been connected with two big-name cases in the Chicago area. In 2008, he ordered William Ballfour held without bail in connection with the murders of members of singer and actress Jennifer Hudson's family, the report stated. Two suspects in the 1993 Brown's Chicken slaying appeared before the judge after their indictments in 2002.

RELATED: Police Unsure If Murdered Cook County Judge Was Targeted

Investigators also were unsure if a 2-year-old road rage altercation between Myles and another driver had any relation to Monday's incident. In 2015, the judge was attacked and seriously hurt when a man punched him in the face after a minor traffic accident. Myles suffered a broken nose and other injuries that required reconstructive surgery.

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the apprehension of the suspect. Anyone with information about the shooting should contact detectives at 312-747-8272.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times

UPDATED (5:16 p.m. Wednesday, April 12)

Joshua Smith, 37 (photo via Chicago Police Department)

Like What You're Reading? Stay Patched In!

• Like our Crime page on Facebook
• Check out the Events Calendar for what’s going on