A 34-year-old man allegedly beat his roommate to death then hid the body for more than a month inside a West Rogers Park apartment.
Anton Urbinkas was charged with first-degree murder after admitting to beating Mark Criddell with the leg of a bed frame that had a screw or a nail poking out of it, Cook County prosecutors said in court Friday.
Though Urbinkas allegedly knew Criddell was dying, he didn’t call for help and later covered the body with coffee grounds, a powder to neutralize pet odors and other chemicals to hide the smell of the decomposing corpse.
Police discovered Criddell’s body March 28 when they responded to a call about a well-being check at the apartment in the 6400 block of North Sacramento Avenue prompted by a neighbor’s call reporting “the smell of death,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
The body was in a significant state of decay; Criddell was identified by a Tasmanian devil tattoo, Murphy said.
A neighbor told investigators he had heard Urbinkas and Criddell arguing in late February or early March, including Criddell shouting, “Stop Anton, you’re crazy, drop it,” after which he said the apartment became “eerily quiet” and he did not see Criddell again, Murphy said.
Anton Urbinkas
Chicago police
Officers had been called for a well-being check at the same apartment a week and a half earlier but were not allowed inside the apartment by Urbinkas, who spoke to the officers through the door, Murphy said.
After that, Urbinkas, who has previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia, could not be located again until investigators learned he had been admitted to Jackson Park Hospital for mental health treatment, Murphy said.
In custody, Urbinkas told investigators he had killed Criddell during an argument, Murphy said. He was arrested Wednesday.
Urbinkas has worked regularly in the construction industry, specializing in carpentry, an assistant public defender said. Due to his mental health issues, his attorney asked that he be granted bond and allowed to stay with family in River North.
Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Urbinkas held without bail, saying he was unable to determine whether Urbinkas’ mental health issues have been stabilized and due to the violence he’s accused of carrying out against Criddell.
Urbinkas is next expected in court on April 27.
