Police Question Several People In Whitehall Hotel Murder
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police are questioning several people in connection with the murder of a Dallas woman, who was found shot to death in a room at the Whitehall Hotel just off the Magnificent Mile.
Court records show Gardner was arrested on a prostitution charge five days ago in Chicago. She was on the sidewalk soliciting men in cars and on foot about 3:20 a.m. on Aug. 8 at 25 W. Hubbard St., police said.
She also was charged with prostitution in April in Harris County, Texas.
Police said they have not established a motive for her slaying, but are investigating whether it is tied to her alleged involvement in prostitution.
And as police investigated the woman's death, many hotel guests tried to remember if they had seen or heard anything strange.
Carolyn Such and Maryetta Palmer said they wonder if what they thought was someone trying to get into their room early Tuesday morning might have been connected.
Such said, "It could have been a cleaning person. They seemed to have a key."
Palmer said, "But they didn't announce themselves, and they didn't knock."
Another hotel guest was on the 7th floor just a few doors down from where the victim was discovered.
He didn't want to talk on camera, but he told investigators he heard something like a gunshot around 3:15 a.m. Monday.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
