As the Wicked Watch(78)
“We have a no-cell-phone policy,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I’m sorry . . .” I said, checking out her name tag, “Christina, but I don’t have a no-cell-phone-policy kind of job. Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
I stepped back out into the chilly hallway. “Hello? This is Jordan Manning.”
“Ms. Manning, I hope you’re sitting down, because you’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you,” said a woman whose voice I didn’t recognize. “In about an hour, the Chicago PD will announce charges against three boys, one thirteen-year-old and two eleven-year-olds, in the death of Masey James. The thirteen-year-old and one of the younger boys are brothers. I’ve seen your coverage. That’s why I’m calling you.”
The Harvey boys.
“And you are?” I asked.
“My name is Adele Constanzo,” she said. “I’m their attorney.”
12
BREAKING NEWS
Diana Sorano: We begin tonight with breaking news. There has been a stunning development in the investigation of the murder of fifteen-year-old Chicago honor student Masey James. Our Jordan Manning reports.
Jordan: Diana, it is indeed stunning. Cook County state’s attorney Chandler O’Brien just announced felony murder charges against three middle school students, a thirteen-year-old and two eleven-year-old boys. The gravity of the charges in a crime Superintendent Donald Bartlett described as “unspeakable” against suspects so young is sure to send shock waves across the city and the rest of the country.
Video of O’Brien: The suspects have been identified as three African American males—two age eleven and a thirteen-year-old. All reside in the South Side community of Bronzeville less than a mile from where the victim’s remains were found. The thirteen-year-old is charged as an adult with aggravated murder, kidnapping, and desecration of a body [audible gasps] . . . and the two eleven-year-olds are charged with accessory to murder after the fact. The older suspect has been remanded to Cook County Jail and the younger suspects are being held in juvenile detention, all pending arraignment.
Reporters hurled questions at O’Brien, a gangly man about six-five with thinning salt-and-pepper hair. Typically devoid of emotion, today he seemed troubled.
“Please, please, let me finish and then I will take your questions and answer what I can. The suspects will be arraigned tomorrow,” he shouted over the disorienting noise. “However, due to their ages, the proceedings will be closed.”
“Why are they closed if the thirteen-year-old is being charged as an adult?” a reporter called out, freeing others to chime in.
“Excuse me, the proceedings for the younger suspects will be closed at my request,” O’Brien said.
The murmurs from reporters in the room grew louder, and Bartlett, standing next to O’Brien, held up his hands and appealed for quiet.
“I understand the seriousness of these charges begs a lot of questions. But make no mistake, this was an unspeakable act. The charges reflect that. And however unconscionable it might be due to the suspects’ young ages, we owe it to Masey and her family to see justice done. Thank you, but that’s all we have at this time.”
O’Brien had promised to take reporters’ questions but seemed content to follow Bartlett’s lead and end the news conference then and there. Reporters protested as the men, joined by Detective Fawcett, turned to walk away.
It was my voice that grabbed their attention. “Detective Fawcett!” I yelled. “What about the mysterious driver you were looking for two days ago?”
Fawcett seemed to lean toward me, and even with the distance between us, I felt the piercing stab of his gaze dead in my face. Without a word, he turned and nodded to the department’s public information officer, Linda Folson, who took the podium as the prosecutor and the lawmen walked away.
“This concludes today’s news briefing. We will keep you informed of updates following the arraignments.”
Hell no! You don’t get to just walk away after dropping a bombshell like this!
“Wait a minute, Linda. So this is it? The investigation is over? Police aren’t looking into any other leads? What is the evidence? The motive?”
A chorus of questions rained down, all of them ignored, failing to break her stride as she seemed hell-bent on leaving. Then suddenly, as though it occurred to her that her abrupt departure would play out on every newscast, she turned around and repeated, “That concludes today’s news conf—”
“Linda, are police looking into other suspects?” I pressed. “Three children—because that’s what they are, children—have been charged with taking part in the savage murder of one of their contemporaries. By themselves?”
Folson turned, stone-faced. “Does the media have any other questions?” she said.
“Can you answer my question, please? Are the police looking at other suspects?”
“Jordan, you’re not the only reporter in the room,” Folson shot back.
Clearly you have no intention of answering any of our questions.
“Is it true that two of the suspects are brothers?” I asked.
The room suddenly fell silent, but within a beat, every reporter in the room wanted to know the answer to that question.