An 18-year-old man has been charged in the murder of an 89-year-old Chicago woman, who was found stabbed to death in a home set on fire last month.
Trae Chatmon was charged with one felony count of first-degree murder in the death of Josephine Johnson, whose murder sent shockwaves through the small South Side neighborhood she lived in.
Police allege Chatmon forcefully gained access to Johnson's apartment and struck in her in the head with an object before stabbing her multiple times. Chatmon then ransacked her apartment and fled with several items before setting the building ablaze, according to authorities.
The fire was first reported just before 3 a.m. on Oct. 26, in a three-story apartment complex in the 5100 block of South Michigan Avenue in the city’s Washington Park neighborhood.
Johnson's body was found on the building’s first floor, the same floor where the fire appeared to have been sparked. She was transported to University of Chicago Medical Center where she was officially pronounced dead.
Johnson, affectionately called Miss Josephine, was a widow who lived alone and spent most of her time at church, according to neighbors and family.
Residents in the area said they were shocked to learn what happened, adding the block won't be the same without her.
"It hurts so bad to see something like this happen," neighbor Arlene Boyd said.
"I am still in shock," her godson Charles Morris said. "I cannot believe it happened."
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Chatmon was already in custody at Cook County Jail for a separate incident when he was charged with her murder, police said.
