A felon on parole has been charged with murdering a paralyzed pot dealer after investigators were able to connect his DNA to a blood trail he left when fleeing the victim’s Chatham apartment building.
Printiss Jones, 25, was found shot in the head and arm at 7 p.m. on Jan. 4 by Chicago police officers responding to a call of gunfire at Jones’ apartment in the 7800 block of South Indiana Avenue.
Six minutes later, after receiving another call of a person wounded, officers found Andrew McCullum shot in the hand about a half-mile away at 76th Street and Yale Avenue, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney James Murphy said Friday.
McCullum, 26, initially said he was shot where police found him, but later said he was wounded near 76th Street and Lafayette Avenue, Murphy said.
There were no reports of shots fired at either location McCullum gave that night, according to police.
McCullum did leave a blood trail by and near Jones’ apartment, Murphy said.
McCullum was treated and released at an area hospital that night. Jones died a short time later.
McCullum and an accomplice had allegedly gone to Jones’ apartment for the sale of a gun, although prosecutors did not make it clear who the intended buyer and seller were.
Jones, who could not use his legs due to paralysis, sold marijuana from his apartment and kept a gun for his protection, Murphy said.
When McCullum and his accomplice arrived, Jones was sitting on an air mattress on the floor, hanging out with his brother and girlfriend, Murphy said.
After Jones’ girlfriend went into the kitchen for a glass of water and returned, she allegedly saw McCullum on top of Jones and McCullum’s cohort searching behind the air mattress.
Then shots rang out. Jones’ girlfriend hid behind the refrigerator, and McCullum and the other man fled from the building, Murphy said.
Outside, McCullum, who had taken Jones’ gun, fired several shots at Jones’ brother, who was standing in an alley behind the building with someone else, Murphy said.
A Chicago police ShotSpotter recorded McCullum and his accomplice running from the scene with guns in their hands, Murphy said.
McCullum was taken into custody Wednesday after investigators found McCullum’s DNA matched the trail of blood in Jones’ building, Murphy said.
Jones’ brother and girlfriend identified McCullum’s cohort in a photo array, but he has not yet been charged, prosecutors said.
McCullum was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2010 for armed robbery and released on parole in 2019, state records show.
He is expecting his first child and has been doing custodial work at a salon, an assistant public defender told Judge Susana Ortiz.
Ortiz ordered McCullum held on $750,000 bail Friday.
If he is able to post bond, the judge recommended McCullum be placed on electronic monitoring.
McCullum is expected back in court June 15.
