Woman orchestrated weed robbery that led to boyfriend’s murder to pay debt for stolen gun: charges

To pay off a debt a woman owed for a stolen gun, prosecutors say she assisted in a plan to rob her on-again-off-again boyfriend of marijuana, resulting in his fatal shooting last summer.

Eupora Jackson, 27, wept quietly and wiped her eyes as she was ordered held without bail Friday on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of her former boyfriend, Eric Hamilton.

Hamilton, 30, was found dead by friends July 26 when they entered his Park Manor apartment in the 6700 block of South Wabash Avenue after not hearing from him, Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Ferrell said in court.

About 4 a.m. that morning, Jackson and Hamilton returned to the apartment after attending a party with friends. Inside, Jackson opened a window and texted an accomplice, letting him know he could come in and find the marijuana in a back room, Ferrell said.

When the man entered the apartment, he confronted Hamilton in the bedroom and shot him multiple times, including in the forehead, authorities said.

Jackson heard Hamilton crying after he was shot and covered his face with a pillow, according to Ferrell, before she took the marijuana and left the apartment without calling police.

At some point after the murder, Jackson posted to her Facebook account that she was selling a 9-mm handgun, Ferrell said. The weapon that killed Hamilton was also a 9 mm handgun. No weapons have been recovered.

Ferrell said Jackson owed her accomplice in the murder money for a stolen gun, but did not provide additional information. Chicago police said the case remained open Friday and no one else had been arrested.

Jackson, of Englewood, was placed in custody Wednesday and admitted to her involvement in the plan to rob Hamilton, to leaving the window open so her accomplice could get inside the apartment and to leaving the apartment with the marijuana, Ferrell said.

An assistant public defender for Jackson said she was currently engaged and had strong family ties to the Chicago area. Jackson wasn’t working at the time of her arrest but was helping her sisters out by dropping off their children at school, her attorney said.

“The manner in which this offense was allegedly committed was done in a cold, calculated manner that required planning,” Judge David Navarro said of his decision to deny Jackson bail.

Her next court date was set for Dec. 3.