Jerry Powe was ordered held after a woman was found strangled and another reported being sexually assaulted at the same residence.
CHICAGO, IL — A 58-year-old Chicago man has been charged with murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping after a woman was found strangled and another woman reported being sexually assaulted at the same East Chatham residence, authorities said.
Jerry Powe was arrested Thursday, Oct. 22, after police found a 36-year-old woman dead inside a residence in the 8100 block of South Ellis Avenue. Chicago police also accused him of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 28-year-old woman at the same location. Powe appeared at a detention hearing Saturday and was ordered held in jail, according to court information reported by CBS Chicago. He is due back in court Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The investigation began after a friend of the 28-year-old woman called 911 at about 9:20 a.m. Thursday, according to police and emergency communications records cited by the Chicago Sun-Times. The woman reported that her landlord had sexually assaulted her at gunpoint inside the apartment. During the reported assault, she noticed another woman on a couch who appeared to be dead, according to the reports.
The 28-year-old woman was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital for medical attention. Police then went to the South Ellis Avenue address for a well-being check. When officers could not get inside the locked residence, Chicago Fire Department personnel opened the door. Authorities found the 36-year-old woman unresponsive in the living room, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy determined that the 36-year-old woman died from strangulation and that her death was a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Authorities had not publicly identified her in the reports reviewed for this story. The circumstances leading up to her death and the relationship among those involved have not been fully detailed by investigators.
Around the time police were responding to the 911 call, Powe went to a Chicago police station and told officers that he had killed a woman by strangulation, according to a police report cited by the Sun-Times and other local news outlets. Officers took him into custody. Chicago police later said Powe was identified as the person suspected of causing the fatal injuries to the 36-year-old woman.
Police charged Powe with first-degree murder and another murder count alleging conduct that created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm. He also faces three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault involving a weapon and one count of aggravated kidnapping involving harm, according to police and local news reports. The charges are allegations, and Powe has not been convicted in the case.
At Powe’s Saturday court appearance, a judge said he lived with both women, according to ABC7 Chicago. The precise nature of his relationship with each woman remained unclear. Earlier reports described the 28-year-old woman as his tenant. Police have not announced a motive or released a full account of what they believe happened inside the residence before the emergency call.
Cook County court records reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times show that Powe has faced numerous criminal cases dating to the 1980s. The newspaper reported that he previously pleaded guilty in cases involving sexual offenses, armed robbery, arson, illegal gun possession, aggravated battery and burglary. Those earlier cases are separate from the current allegations and do not establish guilt in the East Chatham case.
The case moved quickly from an initial death and sexual assault investigation to felony charges over the weekend. Police initially described Powe as a person of interest while detectives investigated the woman’s death and the second woman’s report. Authorities announced the charges Saturday after the medical examiner determined that the death was a homicide.
Powe remains in custody following the detention hearing. The investigation is continuing, and authorities have not publicly released the 36-year-old woman’s identity or provided additional details about a possible motive. His next reported court date is Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Author note: Last updated October 25, 2026.