Inset from left to right: Kevan Works and Daniest Graves (Chicago Police Department). Background: A section of the 10700 block of South Lafayette Avenue in Chicago, Illinois (Google Maps).
In Illinois, a man is facing allegations of murdering his mother after she returned home from shopping, subsequently leaving her corpse to decay in the basement for several days.
Kevan Works, aged 66, has been charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a death related to the killing of 88-year-old Daniest Graves, according to an announcement by the Chicago Police Department. More details were shared in a statement from the authorities.
The tragic event dates back to March 26.
On that day, Graves had been out shopping with her sister before returning to her residence on South Lafayette Avenue in Chicago around 2:30 p.m. The next day, an unusual silence followed as she did not send her customary morning prayer text around 4 a.m., according to local Fox affiliate WFLD.
Concerns grew when Graves failed to appear at work, attend church services, or participate in any planned outings, prompting alarm among her family members, officials noted. On March 29, her sister visited the home and was met by Works, who seemed surprised and refused her entry, according to prosecutors.
Following this unsettling encounter, the sister reportedly alerted the police.
Officers responded to the home, where Works allegedly told them he had not seen his mother since March 27, and that she had actually gone to work. When officers got in the home and her room — which Works reportedly said he could not enter due to not having a key — they found Graves” cellphone.
Investigators reportedly determined the victim’s phone had last been used on March 29.
The investigation into the woman’s disappearance continued, with officers finding her vehicle and talking to a witness about the discovery. According to WFLD, the witness said that Works and a woman brought the car to her on March 27, and traded it for drugs before the witness drove them back to the South Lafayette Avenue home.
The car is said to have had two large black garbage bags inside.
Days passed without a sign of Graves’ body. Then, on Tuesday, officers entered the home with a search warrant, and police dogs found the victim’s body in the basement in a room hidden by a bookcase.
Investigators also reportedly found a folding knife with suspected blood on it, a bottle of bleach, a hammer, and brass knuckles. Suspected blood and seemingly-dried bleach were also discovered on the floor of Graves’ bedroom, with air fresheners strewn about the home.
Police also say they observed Ring surveillance video showing Graves never leaving the home again after getting back from shopping on March 26. Her purse and wallet are said to have been found inside a garbage can in the garage, while her jewelry boxes were found empty in the attic.
Works was arrested on Tuesday, and he is expected to appear in court on April 29.
