Jul 8, 2008 1:08 pm US/Central
Man Allegedly Confesses To Strangling Cicero Woman
Lonzo Travis Charged With Breaking Into Home Of Chrstine Haseltine And Strangling Her
MAYWOOD, Ill. (STNG) ―
A Chicago man with an extensive criminal history is scheduled to appear in a Maywood courtroom later this month after he allegedly confessed to strangling a 58-year-old woman in her west suburban apartment in January.
A July 25 preliminary hearing has been set for Lonzo Travis, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said Tuesday. The 9 a.m. hearing will be held in Room 103 of the Maywood Courthouse.
Travis, 39, of 5254 S. Marshfield Ave., remains in custody at the Cook County Jail after being ordered held without bond June 30 on first-degree murder, home invasion and residential burglary charges.
He allegedly broke into the apartment of Christine Haseltine on Jan. 18 and strangled her. She was pronounced dead in her home at 3129 S. 48th Ct. in Cicero at 9:48 a.m. on Jan. 18, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Travis, identified as the main suspect through leads obtained from confidential sources in the days after the murder, was stopped in Cicero on June 27 for driving on a suspended license and was subsequently taken into custody for questioning.
During a videotaped interrogation on June 30, Travis allegedly confessed to the killing, saying he entered Haseltine's apartment through an open kitchen window and surprised her as she prepared to take a shower. A fight ensued and Travis strangled her before taking off with some of her possessions, according to a release from Cicero police.
Cicero spokesman Dan Proft said Travis allegedly had no relationship with Haseltine. He entered the window after he came to her building to visit a friend who no longer lived there.
Travis has an extensive record including convictions for charges ranging from home invasion to domestic violence to drug-related offenses, according to the release.
An employee of the company that manages Haseltine's apartment building called police after becoming suspicious of her window being open and front door being ajar despite the cold, Proft said in the days after the murder.
Police found Haseltine inside her ground floor apartment, where she lived alone.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
The Tattooed Ladies of Hollywood
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
