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Man Wanted In Florida Murder Arrested In Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Florida man sought in the murder of his grandfather has been ordered held without bail for possible extradition from Chicago.

The suspect, 23-year-old Garrett Kern, had been out of a Florida jail on a larceny charge for only a day when his 80-year-old grandfather James Arthur took him to an appointment with his parole officer on Oct. 28.

It was the last time Arthur was seen alive.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bob Roberts reports

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A short time later, people saw Kern in a pool hall. He was driving Arthur's Volvo, but Arthur was nowhere to be seen, and police said that Kern allegedly made statements leading others to fear for Arthur's safety.

Arthur had raised Kern from the age of 3.

The next morning, someone attempted to use Arthur's credit card to buy fuel in Gainesville, Fla.

Kern has relatives in the western suburbs, who turned him in. He was arrested in a homeless shelter on the 1400 block of South Canal Street, hours before Arthur's body turned up in a Cape Coral, Fla., nature preserve.

For now, Kern is being held on the Florida charge of auto theft and an unrelated LaSalle County (Illinois) drug warrant, but the Florida charges are expected to be upgraded.

He returns to court on Monday.

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