COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Police found Edward Phelps, 57, slumped over in a living room chair, prosecutors said. There was blood splattered on the wall, and Phelps had a broken tooth, a large cut to his mouth and was "cold and stiff."
Phelps had been fighting with live-in boyfriend Lennie Satterfield, 32, about fidelity on Dec. 22, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Joell Zahr said Thursday. The younger man had accused Phelps of cheating on him and an altercation followed in their South Austin home.
Satterfield allegedly put Phelps in a headlock, and Phelps sunk his teeth into Satterfield's finger, Zahr said.
"At that point, the defendant used a closed fist to punch the victim in the head, and the victim collapsed into a chair in the living room," she said.
Satterfield allegedly left Phelps there to die. Phelps was found several hours later after a friend found the body.
An autopsy found blood and vomit in Phelps' mouth, scalp hemorrhages and abrasions of the head, neck and extremities. The cause of death was ruled a homicide.
Satterfield, who was arrested in his home in the 00 block of North Long Street on Wednesday, is charged with first-degree murder.
Neither prosecutors nor police reports indicated why Satterfield was arrested more than three months after the alleged murder.
He appeared in Cook County Bond Court Thursday wearing a "Scooby Doo" t-shirt.
Zahr said Satterfield has a history of domestic violence, including a visit by police in August when he was accused of shoving Phelps to the ground because he suspected him of cheating. Phelps did not pursue charges.
Satterfield had also been arrested for domestic battery in 2010 in Chicago and in 2004 in Madison, Wisc., she said.
His attorney argued that both men were fighting.
"This is a case of mutual combat," said Cook County Public Defender Marijane Placek.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese ordered Satterfield held on $1 million bail.
