A Near West Side Woman Accused of Fatally Injuring 2-Month-Old Son
Authorities allege that Lauryn Shakespeare, a 25-year-old woman from the Near West Side, caused the death of her 2-month-old son by throwing him head-first onto the floor of their apartment, as stated in court documents.
On June 2, Shakespeare called the police to her residence on North Ashland Avenue at 8:15 a.m. She informed first responders that her son, Loyal, had been sleeping with her and was found unresponsive when she woke up, according to a Chicago police report.
Despite being rushed to Stroger Hospital by the fire department, Loyal passed away approximately an hour later.
Police observed inconsistencies in Shakespeare’s statements at the scene. An autopsy revealed that the infant suffered a cerebral hematoma and a linear skull fracture on the right side of his head, injuries that did not align with Shakespeare’s reported version of events.
Prosecutors have charged Shakespeare with first-degree murder and murder, alleging that she intentionally intended to harm or kill her son by throwing him onto the floor.
Due to an undisclosed medical condition, Shakespeare was unable to attend her detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse and remains in custody until she can appear in person, as mandated by Illinois law for detention petitions.
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Tim Hecke is CWBChicago’s managing partner. He started his career at KMOX, the legendary news radio station in St. Louis. From there, he moved on to work at stations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim went on to build syndicated radio news and content services that served every one of America’s 100 largest radio markets. He became CWBChicago’s managing partner in 2019.
His email address is tim@cwbchicago.com
