Home care worker charged with murder of elderly Homewood man

A southwest suburban home healthcare worker has been charged with the murder of a man found with stab wounds last week after a house fire in Homewood.

Frederick Walker, 23, is charged with first-degree murder for stabbing of 78-year-old James Kerrigan, according to a statement from Homewood police. Walker was working as an in-home caregiver for Kerrigan following a surgery.

Kerrigan was found after the Homewood Fire Department put out a fire about 8:45 p.m. on Feb. 20 at his home in the 1000 block of 185th Street, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. on Feb. 21, authorities said. An autopsy found he died of multiple sharp-force injuries.

Walker, who lives in southwest suburban Justice, appeared for a bail hearing Tuesday at the Markham Courthouse, police said.

Judge Luciano Panici ordered him held without bail and set his next court date for March 18, according to Cook County court records.