CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Prosecutors said in court a chance encounter on the street in the early morning hours led to the sexual assault and murder of a UIC student.
Bail was denied Tuesday for Donald Thurman, 26, charged with murdering UIC student Ruth George in a campus parking lot.
Thurman is charged with first-degree murder and criminal sexual assault. Judge Charles Beach II ordered Thurman held without bail, after Cook County prosecutors said he admitted to the attack.
Thurman, who lives near the campus, was released from prison in December 2018 for armed robbery. He was sentenced to six years, but only served two and is currently on parole, UIC police said. He has no affiliation with the university or George, authorities said.
Police say they identified Thurman as a suspect after reviewing surveillance video.
Ruth was found unresponsive early Saturday in the back seat of her family’s car in the parking garage, in the 700 block of West Taylor St. UIC police say Thurman followed her into the garage around 1:30 a.m., and was then seen walking south on Halsted about a half-hour later.
A prosecutor said in court Donald Thurman saw 19-year-old Ruth George for the first time on the street early last Saturday morning and became angry because she kept ignoring his catcalls.
"The defendant was angry that he was being ignored. The defendant came up behind the victim, grabbed her around the neck from behind, and put her into a choke hold," said Cook County Asst. State's Attorney James Murphy. "With his arms still wrapped around the victim's neck the defendant dragged the victim from the ground and he opened her back seat car door."
She had been strangled to unconsciousness, the prosecutor said, and then sexually assaulted.
The prosecutor said Thurman's distinctive white jacket seen in the video was recovered from his home. A condom was left in the car, containing evidence, as was Thurman's palm print.
The woman's cell phone led to the discovery of her body by her sisters and police the next day. Thurman was arrested nearby the next day.
His next court appearance was set for Dec. 16.