An Indiana man's reign of terror over two former girlfriends has left him with the prospect of life behind bars. Robert Speed, a 40-year-old from Gary, Indiana, faced the full weight of justice as a federal jury in Chicago found him guilty of a slew of kidnapping and interstate domestic violence charges.
Speed was convicted on all nine counts, which included the kidnapping of his ex-partners, whom he brutally assaulted using various dangerous weapons. The assaults unfolded at multiple locations, such as residences and hotels across Gary, Indiana, and the Chicago area. According to the Department of Justice, the victims, in their harrowing testimony, recounted how Speed repeatedly punched, hit, and choked them, inflicting serious injuries.
The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, carries dire consequences for Speed, with each kidnapping count punishable by life in prison and each interstate domestic violence count carrying up to ten years. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set the sentencing date for March 26, 2024, offering a grim countdown to what may be a life spent behind bars for Speed.
In a related plea, Shirley Speed, 27, of Chicago and Robert Speed's niece, admitted her role in the crimes. She pleaded guilty to interstate domestic violence, confessing that she aided her uncle in the transportation and assault of one victim. She revealed that they moved the victim from Indiana to Chicago and then to a hotel in South Holland, Illinois. For her part in these heinous acts, Shirley has already begun serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in federal prison.
The convictions represent a collaborative effort between the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Morris Pasqual, and the FBI's Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office, Robert W. "Wes" Wheeler, Jr. The Chicago and Gary, Indiana, police departments were also credited for their valuable assistance in bringing these individuals to justice. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sivashree Sundaram and Prashant Kolluri were the representatives of the government in this pivotal case.
