A missing woman found dead in a Logan Square apartment earlier this week had been repeatedly stabbed and her neck nearly severed, Cook County prosecutors said in court Thursday.
Genesis Silva, 34, faces felony counts of concealing a homicide and unlawful use of a weapon in the death of his girlfriend, 33-year-old Brittany Battaglia, but he has not been charged with murder as police continue their investigation.
Battaglia’s body was found stuffed into a duffle bag on Sunday when detectives searched Silva’s home, prosecutors said. Trace amounts of suspected blood were found in the apartment, as well as on a machete that Silva had in his possession, they said.
An autopsy by the medical examiner’s office found that she died from multiple sharp force injuries and her death was ruled a homicide. Prosecutors said in court they were still waiting for results of forensic testing.
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Last Friday, Battaglia told her roommate that she was going over to Silva’s home, who she had been dating for more than a year, and was planning to attend to a party later that night, prosecutors said.
Battaglia never arrived at the party and her roommate grew concerned when she did not hear from Battaglia again. The roommate reached out to Battaglia’s brother, who also could not reach her, and she was reported missing.
On Sunday, detectives monitoring the area saw Silva drive off in a car and conducted a traffic stop, prosecutors said.
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Silva got out of the car with a red and black backpack and walked back to his apartment with detectives, where a large duffle bag was discovered in his bedroom, prosecutors said.
The detectives declared the apartment a suspected crime scene and Silva was told to stay outside the apartment, according to prosecutors, who said he was taken into custody when he allegedly tried to get back inside through a rear interior stairway.
Two cellphones, two small pocket knives and an ice pick were found on him during a search, prosecutors said.
After a search warrant was obtained, detectives entered the apartment and found Battaglia’s body, as well as a tarp and garbage bags laid out in the kitchen, cleaning supplies and a paint suit, prosecutors said.
A note discovered in the apartment read, “Can you ask average time until smell,” according to prosecutors.
The machete that tested positive for blood was found in Silva’s backpack and a second machete was found in his car, according to prosecutors, who argued that as a convicted felon Silva wasn’t allowed to possess a matchete.
Silva’s felony conviction stems from a 2009 case in which he pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse that was reduced from attempted murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault charges, according to the state’s attorney’s office. Silva was also required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
On Thursday, prosecutors filed a petition asking Judge William Fahy to hold Silva without bail on the weapons charge.
An assistant public defender for Silva argued that the pocket knives and matchetes allegedly found on him wouldn’t qualify as weapons under state law, adding that prosecutors had not linked any of the items to having been used in a crime.
Fahy disagreed and ordered Silva held without bail, noting it appeared likely that Silva could face more serious charges and he believed Silva’s release would pose a danger to the community.
Silva was expected back in court June 20.
