A man from Illinois, charged with the brutal murder of a pregnant woman, reportedly appeared disturbingly composed after the incident, even attempting to sleep during his transport to jail. The horrific crime involved stabbing the victim over 70 times, setting her on fire, and attacking her dog.
This week, 19-year-old Nedas Revuckas entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charges related to the death of 30-year-old Eliza Morales and her unborn child on January 26 in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago.
According to allegations, Revuckas attacked Morales, who was five months pregnant, at her apartment, set the place ablaze, and also inflicted a stab wound on the family dog. These details were provided by the prosecutors.
Nedas Revuckas (Downers Grove Police)
The violent incident was reportedly triggered by a dispute over a Facebook Marketplace transaction. Prosecutors revealed that Revuckas was dissatisfied with the condition of a 1994 red Ford Ranger pickup truck he had purchased from Morales and her spouse.
Seeking to address the issue, he arranged to meet at the couple’s apartment to return the vehicle’s license plates and obtain a bill of sale, as reported by Fox Chicago.
Surveillance video showed him meeting Morales, who was seen at one point handing Revuckas a screwdriver.
He entered the building with a screwdriver in his hand behind his back about five minutes later, and video shows the door to the Morales’ unit opening and closing during what investigators say appeared to be a struggle inside.
Nedas Revuckas, 19, appeared calm and relaxed hours after allegedly stabbing a pregnant woman more than 70 times and setting her apartment on fire. (Downers Grove Police Department via WFLD)
Police bodycam video shows Revuckas hours after the killing when officers arrived at his home. During a conversation with authorities, he was seen speaking in a calm manner and not being aggressive or scared.
He initially claimed that he didn’t go inside Morales’ apartment.
“I didn’t go past the dining room table,” he told police with his hands on his hips, according to the video.
He later confessed to the killing, prosecutors said.
Revuckas said the car he purchased for $1,600 had “somewhat” been working fine. He said he wasn’t aware of a fire at the apartment and that the dog “was fine.”
“It kind of sat in the corner,” he said of the pet.
Eliza Morales and her family (GoFundMe)
Following his arrest, video shows Revuckas seated in the back of a police cruiser, where he appeared to be sleepy.
“Are you able to tell me what this is about?” he asked.
At one point, he kicked his feet up and attempted to take a nap.
Revuckas faces several charges, including first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, animal cruelty, armed robbery and arson.
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