CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The family of murdered 21-year-old Diamond Turner say they can “be at peace” now that a murder charge has been filed against a man who allegedly left her strangled and beaten three years ago on the South Side.
Arthur Hilliard, 52, allegedly dumped Turner’s body in a trash bin in the 7300 block of South Kenwood Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, where she was found days later by trash collectors on March 3, 2017, according to Chicago police.
Hilliard was arrested Wednesday in the Austin neighborhood. Police didn’t say what evidence led to the charges.
After her murder, Turner’s aunt, Latonya Turner, claimed she had secretly recorded Hilliard confessing to the murder, and complained that police could not tie him to the murder.
She and community activist Andrew Holmes recorded that meeting with Hilliard, and later took the tape to police.
In the recording, Hilliard can allegedly be heard “describing every detail of her murder, including the location of the sledgehammer she was beaten with, and saying his roommate did it,” Latonya Turner has said.
Reached by phone Thursday, she said she feels “like we’re going to get justice for her.”
In a statement, Turner said “It’s been three long years of agony and pain for our family. But justice is finally about to be served. Our family can now be at peace.”
“Diamond was sweet as pie and would do anything for anyone,” she said. So “for him to do her like that was senseless.”
Holmes told the Sun-Times Thursday he’s “glad [police> connected the dots.”
Latonya Turner has said her niece was last seen leaving Red’s Lounge, 6929 S. Stony Island Ave., with Hilliard.
Hilliard was previously charged with the concealment of the murder of Andra Williams, whose body was found with stab wounds on Sept. 1, 2018, dumped in a shopping cart in an alley behind the West Side two-flat where he rented a room.
Hilliard, who managed the building in the 700 block of South Campbell, was captured on surveillance video wheeling the shopping cart with Williams’ body into the alley, police said.
He was initially held without bail on that charge, but was later released during the trial.
Hilliard is due in bond court Thursday.