In a harrowing incident that shocked the West Side of Chicago, Bernadine Kinsey, a 49-year-old African American woman, was found dead after having been brutally stabbed and hidden in a closet for several days. Kinsey, who had a prior history of arrests related to prostitution, was reportedly inside a home in the West Garfield Park neighborhood when a fatal altercation took place.
According to prosecutors, Kinsey was with a 20-year-old man named Benjamin Esquivel when a quarrel erupted between them. The confrontation escalated to violence, and Esquivel stabbed the 49-year-old woman to death. After committing the murder, Esquivel reached out to a friend, 37-year-old Juan Ramos, for help in disposing of the body. The two men purchased duct tape and a tarp from a nearby Home Depot, then proceeded to wrap Kinsey's body and conceal it in a closet within the home.
The body remained hidden for several days. On Friday evening, Esquivel's mother reportedly discovered the wrapped corpse but left the house without notifying authorities. It wasn't until the following Monday—when she returned with her daughter—that the body was acknowledged again. This time, Esquivel's sister called 911, finally alerting law enforcement to the grisly crime scene.
The victim's family, devastated by the murder, gathered outside Kinsey's home to grieve and express their anguish. Her daughters, Tierra and Tyanna Kinsey, spoke out about the senselessness and cruelty of the act. “It's just inhumane what people can do these days,” Tierra remarked. Tyanna echoed the confusion and heartache: “Was it that serious that you had to take somebody's life?”
As the case moved forward in court, emotions ran high. During the bond hearing, the victim's brother, Larry Kinsey, recounted his feelings of fury and disbelief when the accused allegedly made a gang gesture during the proceedings. “He really don't know, he tore up a family,” Larry stated, reflecting the depth of the family's pain.
Both Benjamin Esquivel and Juan Ramos were charged in connection to the murder of Bernadine Kinsey. Esquivel faces charges of first-degree murder, while Ramos is implicated for his role in helping to conceal the crime. The case underscores both the brutal nature of the killing and the emotional devastation left in its wake.
