Jerry Powe, a 58-year-old Chicago landlord who previously worked as a security guard at a gas station near 76th Street and Halsted, faces multiple felony charges after a 36-year-old woman was found strangled to death inside a Chatham apartment and a 28-year-old tenant reported being sexually assaulted at gunpoint. The case came to light on Thursday, October 22, after the tenant’s report prompted a police response to a residence in the 8100 block of South Ellis Avenue.
Chicago police charged Powe with first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault involving a weapon and aggravated kidnapping. Police reports also state that Powe walked into the Grand Crossing District police station around the time officers were responding to the apartment and admitted to killing the woman by strangulation.
The investigation has also brought renewed attention to Powe’s extensive criminal record, which includes previous convictions for sexual offenses, armed robbery, arson, illegal firearm possession, aggravated battery and burglary.
Tenant Reports Being Sexually Assaulted at Gunpoint
Authorities received a 911 call at approximately 9:20 a.m. Thursday from a friend of the 28-year-old tenant, who reported that the woman had been sexually assaulted at gunpoint by her landlord.
The incident took place inside an apartment in the 8100 block of South Ellis Avenue in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood. According to police reports, the tenant also noticed another woman lying on a couch and believed she might be dead.
The report triggered a police response to the address, where officers attempted to check on the occupants. The apartment door was locked, and nobody answered when officers tried to make contact.
Fire department personnel assisted in opening the door, allowing officers to enter the residence.
Police Find 36-Year-Old Woman Dead Inside Apartment
Inside the living room, officers discovered an unresponsive 36-year-old woman lying on a couch, unclothed and covered with a sheet, according to the police report.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The Cook County medical examiner’s office later determined that she died from strangulation and classified the death as a homicide.
Authorities have not publicly identified the woman in the information provided for this report.
The discovery came after the surviving tenant described the alleged assault and alerted authorities to the possibility that another woman inside the apartment had died.
Jerry Powe Allegedly Admitted to Strangling the Victim
Around the time officers were responding to the South Ellis Avenue address, Powe reportedly entered the Grand Crossing District police station.
According to the police report, he admitted to killing the victim by strangulation. Investigators subsequently pursued the case involving the woman’s death and the tenant’s report of a gunpoint sexual assault.
Powe was arrested on Thursday, October 22, and charged with first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault involving a weapon and aggravated kidnapping.
The charges relate to the fatal attack on the 36-year-old woman and the reported assault involving the 28-year-old tenant. The investigation remains ongoing.
Powe’s Criminal History Stretches Back to 1985
Court records show that Powe has faced criminal cases in Cook County dating back to at least 1985. His record includes convictions involving sexual offenses, armed robbery, arson, illegal firearm possession, aggravated battery and burglary.
In 1987, Powe was charged in a sexual assault case. Records indicate that he had pleaded guilty to criminal sexual abuse shortly before that and was placed on probation.
In 1988, he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and received a six-year prison sentence.
Powe was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1992 after pleading guilty to armed robbery. Court records also show that he pleaded guilty to another violent felony on the same day and received a separate two-year sentence.
His subsequent criminal cases included arson, illegal gun possession and aggravated battery. In the aggravated battery case, he also faced charges that included attempted first-degree murder.
His most recent conviction identified in the supplied records was for burglary in 2019, for which he was placed on probation for two years.
The history of previous convictions has drawn further scrutiny following the latest charges against him.
Landlord Scheduled for Detention Hearing
Powe was scheduled to appear in court on Saturday, October 24, for a detention hearing. He faces serious charges arising from the death of the 36-year-old woman and the tenant’s account of being sexually assaulted at gunpoint and kidnapped.
The case centers on events inside the Chatham apartment, where police found the deceased woman after responding to the tenant’s report.
Investigators continue to examine the evidence and circumstances surrounding the incident. The criminal charges against Powe will proceed through the court system as the case develops.
