Dr. Martin Russell Sullivan, a 68-year-old white male, was a prominent plastic surgeon in Chicago, IL. He was tragically shot to death on August 6, 1993, in his Wilmette office. Dr. Sullivan was ambushed by a man who had made an appointment under the alias "John Rothman." The assailant, described as a slight, balding white man in his 50s, shot Dr. Sullivan four times in the chest with a small-caliber handgun. The gunman then fled the scene in an older model Volkswagen Beetle.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, Dr. Sullivan succumbed to his injuries at Evanston Hospital, where he had been on staff for 32 years.
The investigation into Dr. Sullivan's murder revealed that the assailant may have stalked him for several days prior to the attack. Witnesses reported seeing a man matching the suspect's description near Dr. Sullivan's office in the days leading up to the shooting. The police formed a 30-member task force to track down the killer, expanding their search to nearby states and Maryland. They focused on a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle with Maryland license plates, which was seen speeding away from the crime scene.
Dr. Sullivan's murder was a significant shock to the community, as he was well-respected and had dedicated much of his career to helping children at Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children. Despite an extensive investigation, the motive for the killing remained unclear. Police combed through Dr. Sullivan's personal and professional life, but found no evidence of pending litigation or disgruntled patients that could explain the attack.
In 2000, Jonathan Haynes was charged with three counts of murder and one count of burglary in connection with Dr. Sullivan's death. Following a bench trial in the circuit court of Cook County, Haynes was found guilty of all charges. The case highlighted the challenges faced by law enforcement in solving such targeted and premeditated crimes, but ultimately brought some measure of justice for Dr. Sullivan and his family.
