COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Two more people have been charged in a brutal December beating that left 64-year-old Cary "Mike" Silverstein dead.
Silverstein was attacked with a frying pan inside his West Ridge home as he hosted a birthday party on Dec. 10, prosecutors said. Three attackers and one of their girlfriends then colluded to dispose of Silverstein's body, prosecutors said.
The man's remains still haven't been found.
Shawndre Lehman, 17, confessed to the attack Monday, authorities said, and appeared before Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Wednesday on first-degree murder charges. Bail was set at $1 million.
Two more alleged accomplices — Shatrara Lehman, 25, Alexander Robinson, 28 — appeared before the same judge Thursday.
Bail for Robinson was set at $1 million, while Panarese said Shatrara Lehman could be released on her own recognizance if she qualifies for the Cook County Sheriff's Office's electronic monitoring program. If not, she'll be responsible for $300,000 bail, the judge ordered.
Neither Robinson nor Shatrara Lehman have a prior criminal history, prosecutors said.
According to authorities, the fatal attack happened at Silverstein's apartment in the 6500 block of North Hoyne Avenue.
Robinson accused Silverstein of saying derogatory things to Robinson's girlfriend, Shatrara Lehman, and punched Silverstein in the face before leaving the party to cool off about 7:30 p.m., prosecutors said.
Robinson returned a short while later, Assistant State's Attorney Brian Whang said during a bond hearing Thursday. That's when Robinson, Shawndre Lehman and a juvenile male accomplice began to punch and kick Silverstein. The group then repeatedly beat Silverstein with a metal frying pan until he was dead.
It's not clear whether the juvenile male accomplice has been charged.
At that point, the three attackers and Shatrara Lehman devised a plan to get rid of Silverstein's body, Whang said.
The group cleaned up Silverstein's blood with water and bleach and washed the frying pan, prosecutors said. They removed Silverstein's clothes and tried to wash his body before placing him in a makeshift body bag made of two garbage bags taped together, Whang added.
Shawndre Lehman then dumped Silverstein's body in a nearby dumpster, while Robinson and their male accomplice acted as lookouts, prosecutors said.
According to Whang, Silverstein's body has not been recovered. The company that collects trash in the area brings its garbage to a suburban Maywood facility. From there, garbage is sent to one of two landfills: a Rochelle location that collects 2 million pounds of trash daily or a Rockford locale that collects 10 million pounds of trash daily.
Silverstein was reported missing in December when he missed two meetings and failed to speak with his sister, whom he usually talked to daily, Whang said.
Detectives investigating the case found blood in Silverstein's kitchen and bathroom, prosecutors said. A witness later named Shawndre Lehman, Shatrara Lehman, Robinson and their male accomplice as the killers, according to Whang.
Shawndre Lehman, of the 500 block of North Lockwood Avenue in Austin, is charged as an adult with first-degree murder. He was 16 at the time of the fatal attack, court records show.
Shatrara Lehman, of the 3000 block of North Gresham Avenue, is charged with concealing a homicide.
Robinson, of the 400 block of North Drake Avenue, is charged with first-degree murder.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
