Bail denied in woman's beating, strangulation

THE BLOTTER

3:13 PM EDT, May 13, 2008

A mental health evaluation was ordered Tuesday for a homeless man charged in the beating and strangling of his girlfriend in a Southeast Side alley over the weekend.

A Cook County judge denied bail for Lee McCorker, 42, after prosecutors described the gruesome details of the first-degree murder charge against him in the death of the 38-year-old woman, whom he had recently been dating.

Cook County Assistant State's Atty. Mary Anna Planey said McCorker attacked Donald Pickett, who is also known by her nickname Beth, in an alley in the 8800 block of South Exchange Avenue on Sunday. After punching the woman in the face and stomach, prosecutors said, McCorker then began stomping the woman with his boots.

"As the defendant began to walk away, the victim moaned in pain. The defendant then turned back around and walked back over to the victim" to continue the attack, she said.

Pickett, of the 8900 block of South Muskegon Avenue, was found fully clothed in the alley around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, police said. She died from strangulation and head injuries in the assault. Police also verified the woman's name.

There was a witness to the beating, another witness saw McCorker leaving the scene with blood covering his hands, and he made a videotaped statement, admitting to continually beating the woman, according to Planey. After the attack, McCorker went to a nearby store, where he was overheard saying he thought he had "just killed Beth," the prosecutor said.

McCorker suffered from depression and bipolar disorder, for which he had recently been taking medication, his public defender said in court. Of four felony convictions, McCorker was sentenced to 7 years for an armed robbery charge. He was also previously charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, prosecutors said.

Jason Meisner and Azam Ahmed, Tribune reporters

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Bail denied in woman's beating, strangulation

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