One of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s neighbors has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for viciously killing a woman with a baseball bat inside his home, which is right across the street from the mayor’s.
Arnel Smith, 66, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder and got his sentence from Judge Alfredo Maldonado, according to court records. Smith will be eligible for parole in a little less than ten years according to Illinois’ “good behavior” sentencing credit.
During Smith’s initial court appearance, a prosecutor stated that the 41-year-old woman sustained over 100 injuries to her head, scalp, and face. A medical examiner who performed the autopsy stated that they had “never seen so many injuries on someone’s body.”
Prosecutors claim Smith saw the victim once approximately a year before the death and then unexpectedly saw her again at a Citgo gas station around 5 a.m. on May 26, 2023. According to prosecutors, the pair took a CTA bus to Smith’s house in the 5700 block of West Superior Street, where they used crack cocaine and the lady performed a sex act.
Smith then accused her of stealing money and refused to let her leave until she paid him the amount he claimed she owed. The confrontation became fatal. Prosecutors claimed Smith assaulted the woman with a baseball bat and stabbed her with shards of broken china until she died.
Following the murder, Smith allegedly smoked more crack, wrapped the woman’s body in a comforter, and hauled her to an alley. Surveillance video showed him attempting to lift the body into a dumpster but being “physically unable” to do so, prosecutors claimed. Later, a neighbor noticed the comforter in the alley, mistook it for a wrapped object, and kicked it, revealing the woman’s body.
Cops instantly focused on Smith after seeing the CCTV video. They executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence and discovered dried blood on Smith when he opened the door, according to prosecutors. Inside the residence, they allegedly discovered bloody clothing, a bloody bat, and blood-soaked pottery.
Smith had no prior criminal record, had a degree in child development, and had spent the preceding five years working at a daycare center while also performing in a blues and jazz band, according to his initial defense counsel.
In addition to the state’s usual sentence reduction, Smith was given 711 days in jail while awaiting trial and 206 days for participating in jail activities, according to court documents.
