Charges in Cicero Fire Deaths
3/10/2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT LARRY DOMINICK
I was moved by Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's passionate
statement at her press conference on Friday after we turned over the solid
evidence that the Town of Cicero Police and Fire Department investigators
obtained during one of the most professional and successful undercover
investigations conducted over nearly a three week period.
Our investigators were able to identify several witnesses who cooperated to
wear a wire to help us convict the two suspects using their own words.
If any case deserves the death penalty, this tragedy does. The arson fire
and the actions of the two suspects was motivated by pure evil and greed,
and it resulted in the murder of seven individuals, seven residents of
Cicero, seven members of our family, including four children including a
3-day old infant. To put greed above the lives of these seven human beings
is something we should not tolerate ever. To use arson is one of the most
heinous forms of murder.
I am not satisfied with the State's Attorney's hesitation on this case
regarding the death sentence, and I urge her to pursue this prosecution with
the same vigor she displayed at her press conference. We are insisting that
Ms. Alvarez seek the death sentence in both these instances.
This is an ugly, heinous crime. As a parent of my own children, and having
spoken with the families of victims and many residents in the Town of Cicero
who all feel as if they lost family members in this incident, the
prosecution must send a powerful message that human life has value in our
community and that our morality demands a price.
The callous disregard for life displayed by the accused arsonists is
despicable. No case deserves consideration of the death penalty more than
this one.
I have sent a letter this morning to Ms. Alvarez urging her to declare her
intention to pursue this aggressively and fully, and to seek the death
penalty in both cases upon their conviction.
There is no doubt in my mind that the suspects knew there were 30 people living in that building and to set the fire on the back staircase, which was the only escape route for many of the people int he building is deplorable. They had to know that this fire would have taken lives and only by God's Grace did it not take more.
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