Oct 17, 2007 3:27 pm US/Central
Driver Surrenders In Death Of 'Walking Mike'
Suspect First Took Refuge In West Side Church Before Turning Himself Over To Sheriff's Police
BLUE ISLAND, Ill. (CBS) ―
Charges were filed Wednesday night in the gruesome hit and run that severed the victim's feet. The suspect took refuge in a West Side church before turning himself in Wednesday night.
As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, 26-year-old Marcus Hampton was rushed into a West Side church where pastors there said they'd prayed with him, and encouraged him to turn himself in.
"As you can see when he came out that he is broken up and obviously I think as any human being would be, you know, just really heartbroken about the situation," said Rev. Dr. Marshall Elijah Hatch Sr., of New Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.
Hampton, who was already on parole for armed robbery was simply scared, confused and had been wrestling with what to do ever since the Friday night accident.
"All of us know this is a tragedy, and of course this family did not want to compound the tragedy, so they simply did the right thing," Hatch said.
Police say Hampton was on his way to pick up his girlfriend, Shawanda Smith, at a Crestwood fast-food restaurant when he struck Cranston near Keystone Avenue and Vollmer Road in Matteson on Friday. The impact catapulted Cranston through the windshield into the car.
"The individual, the victim, hit the top of the vehicle and then went into the passenger side," Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said at a news conference called to announce the charges.
The impact severed the legs of the 60-year-old, who was known as "Walking Mike."
Sheriff's deputies waited until the men finished their prayer before taking Hampton into custody.
Dart said Hampton is now being questioned in Maywood.
"Since he's been in custody he's been somebody who's been shedding a lot of tears, been apologetic," Dart said.
Hampton was allegedly alone and behind the wheel of the car which struck and killed 60-year-old Michael Cranston Friday night, shearing off the south suburban man's legs below the knees and catapulting his body up over the hood and through the windshield.
Investigators say Hampton did not stop until he got to Alsip, 11 miles away, where he pushed Cranston's body from the car.
Dart said several people had seen Cranston's remains in both locations - before they were reported to police - and had assumed they were part of a gory Halloween display.
The car was discovered on fire in south suburban Blue Island Friday night, but it wasn't until Monday night that a fire dispatcher put two and two together and called the sheriff's office. Debris from the car found at the accident scene near Matteson and near where Cranston's body was found matched the car that had been set ablaze.
From there, things went quickly. Investigators found the owner of the car, Anthony Smith, and his sister Shawanda Smith, both of whom are now charged with obstruction of justice. Shawanda Smith, 28, is also charged with arson, for allegedly helping Hampton torch the car.
Police say after Hampton dumped the body, the Smiths purchased gasoline and met Hampton four miles from Alsip in a wooded area near 139th and Thornton in Blue Island where all three allegedly set fire to the car and pushed it down a ravine.
"There was never a good decision made throughout this process by any of these people involved in this. It was a horrific accident. Mr. Cranston's life was taken from him," Dart said.
Police say the burned out car helped lead them to the driver.
Dart said that as far as authorities know, the other two were not with Hampton when the body was in the car, and sought their help in getting rid of the vehicle after the accident.
Charges against Hampton could range all the way up to reckless homicide and/or concealing a homicide.
Hampton's surrender was facilitated by the West Side church leaders' network which was contacted by Hampton's family, and then got in touch with the sheriff's office.
CBS 2's Joanie Lum and Jay Levine, and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
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