Cook County

After Cross-Country Manhunt, Northwestern Professor Arrested in Chicago Slaying to Appear in California Court

Wyndham Lathem, 42, was arrested in California on Friday, along with University of Oxford employee Andrew Warren, 56. Both were in police custody in Oakland following a days-long, multi-state manhunt

The Northwestern University professor arrested last week during a cross-country manhunt following a "gruesome" stabbing in Chicago will appear in court in California Monday, authorities said.

Wyndham Lathem, 42, was arrested in the state on Friday, as was University of Oxford employee Andrew Warren, 56. Both were in police custody in Oakland, California following a days-long, multi-state manhunt, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, citing the U.S. Marshals Service.

Lathem is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning, but it was not clear when a hearing would be held for Warren. Police expect both men will ultimately be returned to Chicago "where they will be interrogated by CPD homicide detectives." 

The two were wanted in connection with the killing of 26-year-old Trenton H. James Cornell-Duranleau, who was found dead on July 27 inside an apartment building in Chicago's River North neighborhood. 

Officials said Cornell-Duranleau was discovered stabbed to death around 8:30 p.m. on the tenth floor of the Grand Plaza Apartments on State Street, where police said Lathem lives. 

Lathem's attorney, Adam Sheppard, told the Chicago Tribune the professor was "hopeful" before his Monday hearing, adding that they "hope his role in the matter, ultimately, will lead to innocence." 

Lathem is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University's medical school, where he has worked for 10 years. He was placed on administrative leave and banned from entering Northwestern campuses, university spokesman Alan Cubbage said Wednesday after warrants were issued for his and Warren's arrest.

Warren is a senior treasury assistant at the University of Oxford in Great Britain, according to the university’s website.

Both men disappeared after Cornell-Duranleau, a hairstylist and Michigan native, was found dead, authorities said. Guglielmi said the crime scene was "gruesome and the victim was savagely murdered."

The Chicago Tribune reported that blood was found on a bedroom door in the apartment where Cornell-Duranleau was found dead from stab wounds. The report, citing law enforcement sources, also said a knife with a broken blade was found in the trash in the kitchen, and another knife was located near the sink.

The pair of suspects was spotted on surveillance video leaving the property after the incident, authorities said. Police said the men later drove to Lake Geneva and donated $1,000 to the Lake Geneva Public Library in the victim's name. 

Lathem also sent a video message to family members and friends after the killing, according to police, allegedly apologizing for his involvement in the crime.

Police did not release the video footage, saying it was "integral to any future interrogation efforts," adding that the people who received the video had been interviewed by U.S. Marshals. 

Ed Ferrell, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals office, said Warren was arrested in San Francisco, while Lathem surrendered at the federal courthouse in Oakland after communicating with authorities. 

"Both individuals will be held accountable for their actions and we hope [Friday's] arrest brings some comfort for the victim's family," Guglielmi said in a statement last week. "We are also thankful that this did not end in further tragedy."

Lathem was booked in the Alameda County Jail in Oakland, California, and Warren was booked into the San Francisco County Jail, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

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