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Argument Over Messy Apartment Led To Murder, Prosecutors Say

By Erica Demarest | October 21, 2016 6:06pm
 Tiera Graves, 28, is charged with first-degree murder.
Tiera Graves, 28, is charged with first-degree murder.
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DNAinfo; Cook County Sheriff's Office

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Far South Side woman fatally shot her cousin following an argument about their messy apartment, prosecutors said Friday.

Tiera Graves, 28, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after shooting her cousin, Marilyn Duffy, 21, on Tuesday, prosecutors said. The two lived together in the 300 block of East 130th St.

It all began Tuesday when Graves confronted Duffy about her "lack of cleanliness" around the apartment and how Duffy behaved in front of Graves' young son, Assistant State's Attorney Kristin Estrada said at a bond hearing Friday.

During an argument that ensued, Duffy cut her hand on a fish tank, prosecutors said. Duffy went to a neighboring apartment to clean the wound and proceeded to talk loudly about Graves, according to Estrada.

At that point, Graves walked toward her building's hallway to confront Duffy, prosecutors said. Multiple witnesses watched the women head outside and continue to argue.

Once outside, Graves handed her phone to a neighbor so that she could fight Duffy, prosecutors said. But Graves soon took back the phone, according to Estrada, and multiple witnesses who had gathered to watch a fight began to disperse.

As the witnesses walked away, prosecutors said, Graves pulled out a gun and fired a single shot — fatally striking Duffy in the left side of her body.

Police responded to multiple calls about a person with a knife and a person who had been shot, prosecutors said, and soon found Duffy lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to her chest. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Officers arrested Graves inside her apartment, where she was found mopping the floor, according to Estrada. Police recovered a 9mm handgun in a hallway closet.

In court Friday, Graves' attorney, Michael Finley, argued that Graves was acting in self-defense when she shot Duffy. Graves has no prior criminal history, Finley said, and recently took in Duffy because the woman was homeless.

Graves was upset that Duffy frequently brought strange men to the apartment and left out used condoms, according to Finley. The attorney claims Duffy pulled a knife during the women's argument Tuesday, and that Graves called 911 four times to no avail.

When the women later argued outside, Finley said, Duffy was standing with two strange men who intimidated Graves. That's when Graves went inside to get her gun, according to the attorney.

Graves then headed back outside, Finley said, and only shot Duffy after the woman began to chase and grab at her.

Estrada on Friday said there was no indication in the state's preliminary investigation that Duffy was armed or standing with two men.

During baseball season, Graves works as a vendor at U.S. Cellular Field, Finley said. For the rest of the year, she sells popcorn for Garrett Popcorn. Graves has a 4-year-old son, according to the attorney.

Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil on Friday set bail at $1 million.

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