Man charged in Back of the Yards beating death of woman

A South Side man was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail Friday for the murder of a 42-year-old woman who was found beaten to death in a Back of the Yards alley last month.

Eddie Howlett, 24, was captured on surveillance camera walking with Kimberly Schnackenberg and punching her before she was severely beaten by others, including a man wielding a baseball bat, Cook County prosecutors said.

But defense attorney John Miraglia told Judge James Brown that the video from April 21 was “sketchy” and that Schnackenberg’s roommate who identified Howlett as the man last seen with her is far from credible.

Schnackenberg’s roommate is a man named “Pops” who invited drug addicts and prostitutes to live with him, in the 2000 block of West 51st, for drugs and sexual favors, Miraglia said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Howroyd said on the day of the murder, Howlett texted Schnackenberg to tell her that he had some drugs he wanted her to try.

When Howlett went to get Schnackenberg from her apartment, three other men who were with Howlett hid in a nearby alley, Howroyd said.

Howlett clocked Schnackenberg when they came outside, Howroyd said. She fell and soon, the others started kicking her. One of the men then started hitting Schnackenberg’s head and body with a baseball bat, Howroyd said.

Howlett and his friends left Schnackenberg lying on the pavement where she was found six hours later in a pool of blood, Howroyd said.

Schnackenberg was taken to Holy Cross Hospital where she died of craniocerebral injuries.

Several witnesses who saw the surveillance video, which was taken from a private residence, had identified Howlett, Howroyd said.

Howlett, of the 7900 block of South Laflin, was arrested for Schnackenberg’s murder earlier this week.

He allegedly admitted to police that he sent Schnackenberg a text before she had been killed.

Miraglia noted that all Howlett did was admit to sending her a text, not to harming her.