A woman has been charged with murder and prosecutors say she stabbed a man multiple times at an apartment in Mundelein and then told officers she was going through an “episode.”
The Mundelein Police Department and Mundelein Fire Department responded around 5:10 a.m. Monday to the Park Butterfield Apartments in the 1400 block of Downing Place.
Mundelein Police Chief Jason Seeley said a 911 caller requested police assistance for an unknown problem inside the building.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Manuel Mandujano said officers encountered Jeanette Crespo, 44, of Mundelein, at the front of an apartment. She had blood on her body.
Crespo, who was believed to be the one who called 911, got down on the ground and put her hands out while saying, “I’m sorry, he’s over there,” according to Mandujano.
Officers asked who and Crespo responded it was “Michael.”
Officers located an unconscious man, later identified as Michael Murphy, 53, of Mundelein, inside the apartment unit.
Murphy was covered in a blanket with blood on his shirt, which was taken off, Mandujano said. He was bleeding from the upper torso.
The man’s body was located in between a hallway and a bedroom. He had at least five stab wounds, including one through his heart, Mandujano said.
Paramedics arrived and began performing CPR on Murphy.
Ambulances transported both Murphy and the woman to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Seeley said.
Hospital staff indicated Murphy had suffered multiple stab wounds to his chest and neck area.
Murphy died shortly after arriving at the hospital, Seeley said.
Officers located a bloody knife in the apartment. Mandujano said no one else was inside the apartment and Crespo confirmed it was only her and Murphy inside the apartment at the time.
Crespo made statements that she had an “episode” and was “going through an episode,” Mandujano said.
A downstairs neighbor told investigators they heard what sounded like someone falling around 5 a.m. followed by a male and female voice wailing.
Police records showed previous reports of domestic-related calls between the two individuals in recent years.
The Mundelein Police Department said they are working with the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, the Lake County Coroner’s Office and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office as part of the investigation.
Crespo was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree murder.
She has since been released from the hospital and was transported to the Lake County Jail on Tuesday where she appeared in First Appearance Court.
Prosecutors filed a petition to detain Crespo and Lake County Judge Raymond Collins scheduled a detention hearing for Wednesday afternoon.
The judge ordered Crespo temporarily held in custody until the detention hearing, at which point another judge will decide if she will remain held pending trial.