A Chicago man is in custody after a criminal-defense attorney phoned police about a dead woman in a South Side apartment, according to authorities. Officers forced their way into a unit in the 500 block of East 72nd Street on Monday evening and found 29-year-old Terriyanna Johnson on the floor, covered with a blanket. The Cook County medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide by strangulation, and Area 1 detectives are leading the investigation.
How police were alerted
Police say the case landed in their laps when a local criminal-defense lawyer called to report that his client had a dead person at the address and wanted to turn himself in. First responders then forced entry into the apartment and discovered Johnson on the bedroom floor. Officers noted a small amount of blood beneath her head and a bruise on her upper left arm. Area 1 detectives are handling the case, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Autopsy and immediate findings
An autopsy on Tuesday concluded that Johnson died of strangulation, and the death was officially ruled a homicide, medical examiner records show. Cook County documents indicate she was pronounced dead at about 10 p.m. Monday. Police say they have a man in custody who called his lawyer about the body; the Chicago Tribune reports it is not naming him because charges remained pending as of Wednesday morning.
Neighborhood context
The killing is the latest violent incident to unsettle Greater Grand Crossing, which has seen other recent strangulation cases and a separate garage homicide that drew wide coverage last year. Hoodline previously covered a November strangulation in the neighborhood in a piece about a local 41-year-old woman strangled.
What happens next
Detectives say interviews and evidence collection are ongoing, and prosecutors will review the findings before any charges are filed. Anyone with information is asked to contact Area 1 detectives, and authorities emphasize that an arrest is not proof of guilt. For the full police account, see the Chicago Tribune.
