CHICAGO, IL – A 24-year-old man, Joshua Williams, has been slapped with a first-degree murder charge for allegedly strangling a missing 15-year-old Chicago girl, Amarise Parker. Williams is believed to have committed the murder on Dec. 12 at South Phillips Avenue, located in the South Shore neighborhood. Parker’s body was later discovered in the building later that evening.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office later confirmed the identity of the victim, listing the cause of death as asphyxiation due to strangulation and classifying the incident as a homicide. The victim, Amarise Parker, had previously been reported missing by the Chicago Police on Nov. 26. Interestingly, she had also been reported missing earlier in August 31st but returned home the next day.
Following the grim discovery of Parker’s body, her mother, Yahanna Clark, expressed her grief. “She was a lovely soul. Everybody loved her. Although she had been missing, but she didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve this,” remarked the mourning mother.
Amarise Parker was a sophomore at CICS Loomis Longwood High School. In reaction to the news of her death, Chicago Public Schools gave their condolences to the teen’s loved ones and expressed their grief over the staggering loss of another young life.
On Saturday, police identified Williams as the suspect in Parker’s murder, leading to his arrest. The suspect is scheduled to attend a detention hearing on Tuesday. Notably, Williams had an outstanding out-of-state arrest warrant.