A Chicago man has been arrested in connection with a South Side shooting that left a man dead more than two years ago, a rare development in an older homicide case that had lingered without an arrest. Authorities say 50-year-old Eugene Rhoiney was taken into custody this week and is now charged with first-degree murder in a Bronzeville killing from August 2023. The victim, 49, was found with a gunshot wound to the back of the head and later died at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Police say the investigation is still active and have not released a possible motive.
Arrest and charges
Chicago police say Rhoiney was picked up Tuesday in the 4500 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue and booked on one count of first-degree murder tied to a death on the 500 block of East 44th Street. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a detention hearing, according to FOX 32 Chicago. The station reports the information came from the Chicago Police Department as detectives followed up on evidence developed from the original 2023 investigation.
Why older shootings are hard to solve
Veteran detectives and public-safety experts say arresting a suspect in a years-old shooting is no easy feat. Tips dry up, witnesses move away or stop returning calls, and investigators juggle fresh cases that demand immediate attention. A Chicago Sun-Times investigation found police made arrests in only about 6% of nonfatal shooting cases since 2018, a trend officials have tied to detective staffing levels and how cases are triaged. Those systemic obstacles help explain why a recent arrest in an older Bronzeville homicide has drawn extra interest from investigators and neighbors alike.
What we know about the Bronzeville killing
On Aug. 22, 2023, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in Bronzeville and found a 49-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the back of the head, according to police. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died. Area One detectives processed the scene and continued to work the evidence in the months that followed. Last week’s arrest was the result of that follow-up work, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Authorities have not disclosed additional details about what specifically led them to Rhoiney or how they allegedly connected him to the killing.
Legal note
Rhoiney faces a first-degree murder charge in Cook County. Under Illinois law, first-degree murder covers killings carried out with intent to kill or do great bodily harm, or that happen in the course of certain felonies, and it can carry very long prison terms. The statute is codified in the Illinois Criminal Code (720 ILCS 5/9-1), as outlined by the Illinois General Assembly.
What’s next
Authorities say Rhoiney will remain in custody at least until his detention hearing Friday and is expected to continue appearing in court as the case moves forward. Police have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the August 2023 shooting is urged to contact Area One detectives or the Chicago Police Department, in line with the department’s public guidance.
