Death Of Wheaton Man In 2021 Prompts Drug-Induced Homicide Charges

WHEATON, IL — A Wheaton man's fatal drug overdose has led to drug-induced homicide charges against an Aurora man. Markwon Wilson, 21, is being held in DuPage County Jail on $500,000 bond in connection with the March 2021 death of Raul Torres, 62.

First responders were called to the 2000 block of Roosevelt Road around 4:30 p.m. on March 29 after Torres was found unresponsive. They arrived to find Torres dead with a pipe in his hand and what appeared to be a "white, powdery substance" on the floor, a news release said.

Torres was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the substance was later identified to be cocaine.

According to police, an investigation led them to find that Wilson had sold crack cocaine to Torres earlier that day and that Torres's death was caused by ingesting the substance.

Wilson was arrested July 26, 2023 and charged with manufacturing/delivering 400-900 grams of cocaine by Winnebago County, in addition to the drug-induced homicide by DuPage County.

“Illegal narcotics continue to take thousands of lives each year,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

He added, “These souls are lost forever while those who supplied the deadly doses make money from death, as alleged in this case. The charges filed today should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who makes the mistake of selling drugs in DuPage County, where we look at every illegal narcotics overdose case as the potential result of criminal action committed by the supplier. My sincere condolences go out to Mr. Torres’ family and friends as they grieve their loss."

Wilson is set to appear in court again on Aug. 23.