Cops: Lyons man beat his stepfather to death with hammer

Bond was set at $1.5 million for a 33-year-old man accused of beating his stepfather to death with a hammer when a fight escalated Friday night at their home in west suburban Lyons.

About 9:30 p.m., Lance McDonald got into an argument with with his 55-year-old stepfather, Lance C. Wright, at the apartment they shared in the 8500 block of 47th Street when he hit the older man in the head with a hammer, according to Lyons village spokesman Ray Hanania and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

McDonald called police and admitted to the attack, Hanania said. He wasn’t home when emergency crews arrived and took Wright to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died at 10:20 p.m., authorities said.

The younger man then called police from a gas station, where he was arrested, Hanania said.

An autopsy found Wright died of head trauma in an assault and ruled the death a homicide.

McDonald has been charged with first-degree murder. He was ordered held Monday on a $1.5 million bond and is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 5, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.