Man charged with killing parents in Uptown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 33-year-old man from Berwyn has been charged with killing his parents on Sunday night at an apartment in a senior housing facility in Uptown.
Ocie Banks Jr. has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Ocie Banks Sr., 79, and his estranged wife, Sheila Banks, 61, who both were found in an apartment in the 1000 block of West Montrose Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, when officers responded to a call for a well-being check.
Autopsies determined Ocie Banks Sr. died of multiple gunshot wounds, and Sheila Banks died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Prosecutors said Ocie Jr. was living with his father in Berwyn at the time of the murders, but had previously lived with both of his parents, had a history of physical abuse against his father. His mother kicked him out of the home because of that abuse, and Ocie Sr. decided to move out and get an apartment for him and his son to share.
While Ocie Sr. and his wife were separated, they were still on friendly terms, prosecutors said.
On Friday, Ocie Jr. drove his son to Sheila's apartment to play cards, and Ocie Jr. left the next morning around 6 a.m., and prosecutors said surveillance video from the building showed no one else entered or left until after 8 p.m. on Sunday, when police went inside to locate Ocie Sr. and Sheila after receiving a call for a well-being check.
Prosecutors said Ocie Jr. went with police during the well-being check at Sheila's apartment, where Ocie Sr. was found laying face down on the bed, with a gunshot wound to his forehead and another gunshot wound to his back. Sheila was found laying on her back next to Ocie Sr., with a gunshot wound to her right temple.
No weapon or shell casings were found inside the apartment, which was locked when police arrived, with no signs of forced entry or robbery.
Banks Jr. has been ordered held without bail. He is due back in court on May 3.
At the time of the murders, he was free on bond on federal charges, accused of three armed robberies of two T-Mobile stores in Cicero in December 2020 and January 2021.
