Leona Larry, a 57-year-old African American woman, was tragically killed on April 14, 2010, in Chicago, IL. Her death was part of a horrific massacre carried out by her son, James Larry, who was 33 years old at the time. James Larry, who had converted to Islam while serving a prison sentence in Wisconsin, was reportedly upset that his family did not support his religious conversion.
This led him to commit a series of brutal murders at the family home in the Marquette Park neighborhood.
On the early morning of April 14, 2010, James Larry began his rampage by shooting his mother, Leona Larry, as she slept on a sofa in the living room. He then proceeded to systematically kill other family members, including his pregnant wife, Twanda Thompson, 19; his 7-month-old son, Jihad; his 3-year-old niece, Keleasha Larry; and his 16-year-old niece, Keyshai Fields, who was also pregnant. James Larry also shot his 13-year-old nephew, Demond Larry, in the face, but the boy survived.
James Larry was arrested shortly after the massacre and told police that Allah had instructed him to kill his family. He expressed regret that he had run out of bullets and wished he had more to continue his killing spree. During his trial, Larry pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and the intentional homicide of an unborn child. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case was marked by the absence of any underlying psychiatric issues, despite the defendant's erratic behavior. Prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty for Larry, but the state's recent ban on capital punishment prevented this outcome. The surviving family members chose not to submit victim-impact statements and expressed relief that the case was finally over.
