Anthony Curtis, a 26-year-old male from Chicago, was fatally shot on December 27, 2008. Curtis, who resided in the 2700 block of West 99th Street, was attacked while sitting on his porch in the 4900 block of South Indiana Avenue at approximately 4:15 p.m. He was declared dead at the scene.
Authorities later charged Christopher West, a 23-year-old man already serving time for weapons-related offenses, with Curtis's murder.
According to prosecutors, West and another individual, who has not been charged, approached Curtis and shot him. A witness, who was a block away at the time, reported seeing West flee the area after hearing gunshots. Prosecutors also alleged that West was overheard boasting about the crime, stating, “that was the most gangsterous murder I ever did.”
West had been incarcerated since May 2011, serving two three-year sentences for being a felon in possession of a weapon—one stemming from a 2010 case and the other from a 2011 case. His last known address was in the 4600 block of South Prairie Avenue. Prior to his murder charge, West had pleaded guilty to a 2008 felony cocaine possession charge, for which he initially received 29 days in jail but repeatedly violated probation. He was transferred to Cook County Jail from Pinckneyville Correctional Center and formally arrested on the murder charge.
