A 14-year-old suburban Chicago girl fatally stabbed her 11-year-old half-sister because she said the younger girl didn't appreciate her, prosecutors said.
During a Wednesday court hearing, prosecutors said the 14-year-old girl set her alarm early, went downstairs to the kitchen and got a knife. She went back upstairs to her sister's bedroom, prosecutors said, and repeatedly stabbed her sister in bed while telling her how she didn't appreciate the things the older girl had been doing around the house.
The older girl said she had cooked dinner six times that week, prosecutors said, and the 11-year-old apparently had been hitting her the night before.
Authorities were called to a home on the 1600 block of Woodhaven Court in Mundelein just before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday on a report of an unconscious juvenile, Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther said.
The 11-year-old girl was found deceased in a bedroom, Guenther said. The Lake County coroner said she was stabbed 30 times in the neck, chest and arms.
The 14-year-old girl faces first-degree murder charges. Officials say a decision will be made in a few weeks whether to move the case to adult court.
Prosecutors said that after the stabbing, the 14-year-old girl called police and told them there was a Hispanic male intruder stabbing her little sister. She again told the story at the crime scene and during police interviews.
When detectives told her later in the afternoon they had strands of hair that would eventually point to the real suspect, the girl admitted she did it, prosecutors said. She submitted oral and written statements.
Guenther said the suspect is the one who called 911 to report the emergency and answered the door when police arrived four minutes later. He said whatever transpired happened shortly before the 911 call was placed. Both girls lived in the home with a mother.
An autopsy performed late Wednesday morning determined sharp-force injuries was the official cause of death.
"There was evidence of trauma, and while multiple stab wounds were evident, I will defer to the coroner's office," he said. "As to motive, I don't want to comment at this point."
County coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd said police recovered the knife believed to have been used in the attack and that judging from the injuries it's about 4 inches long.
The discovery of the girl's body prompted a lockdown of nearby schools. Mundelein High, Mechanics Grove Elementary and Carl Sandburg Middle were placed on alert for about 15 minutes while officers worked to secure the scene, a statement from police said.
While both girls attended the same school, Guenther declined to identify it.
"I just want to ask the Chicagoland area to please pray for us," said Mundelein Mayor Steve Lentz. "It's quite a tragedy. It's affected our community quite a bit. We're operating out of a whole new playbook here."
Prior to releasing their statement, law enforcement officials were mum about what had occurred at the home. A resident reported a stabbing in the area, and another resident said a middle school employee was told there had been a murder in the area. But police initially declined to comment on those reports.
