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No Bond For Six Defendants in Van Crash Beatings That Left Two Dead in Chicago

Aired August 05, 2002 - 12:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: No bond for six defendants in the van crash beatings that left two people dead in Chicago. Today, a seventh man, James Ously, will find out if he will be allowed to post bail. All seven people are back in court to set dates for their proceedings.

Affiliate station's WGN Jackie Bang has more on the seven that were arrested.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACKIE BANG, WGN REPORTER: The youngest of the seven is sixteen- year-old Antonio Fort. He and 20-year-old Robert Tucker appeared before a judge this morning. This comes four days after 62-year-old Jack Moore and 49-year-old Anthony Stuckey lost control of the rental van they were in and struck three women sitting outside near 40th and Lake Park Avenue.

An angry mob dragged the two out of the van and beat them to death. Moore, the driver, was legally drunk, but police say that has no bearing on the case.

According to assistant state's attorney Meagan Goldish, Antonio Fort pulled Anthony Stucky from the passenger's side, picked up a piece of concrete and struck him.

LAWRENCE WOLF LEVIN, ANTONIO FORT'S ATTORNEY: We believe that Mr. Fort had nothing do with the matter at hand. We have entered a plea of not guilty of assault charges. We believe it'll be exonerated.

BANG: Levin took issue with police who claim Ford is a gang member. Levin says his client, a sophomore at South Shore High School, was rolled up in a ball, cold and scared, in police lockup.

As for Tucker, prosecutor Goldish says he confessed to his involvement.

She says Tucker punched out the driver-side window, struck Jack Moore four to five times before taking the keys and pulling him out of the van where he was fatally beaten.

Of the other five arrested, 47-year-old Henry Lawrence and 43- year-old Roosevelt Lawrence are related to two of the injured women. Also arrested, 43-year-old Ricky Lawson, 20-year-old Lamont, and 31-year-old James Ously. Ously's grandmother tell us her grandson, known to relatives as "Cody" had just gotten off work, and wasn't even there when the accident happened.

FREDDIE NEELY, JAMES OUSLEY'S GRANDMOTHER: Cody was down the street, maybe a half a block down. When Cody found out something had happened, this is when he walks up there.

BANG: But police say all seven suspects are known gang members and have criminal records. Some spent time in prison. Investigators yesterday said they have built the case based on eyewitnesses, fingerprints and DNA evidence, and they say, there may be more arrest.

PHILLIPS: That was WGN reporter Jackie Bang.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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