Residents of South Side senior housing high-rise shaken after 87-year-old woman found beaten to death

Residents of a South Side senior housing high-rise sorted through rumors and few answers Monday after an 87-year-old woman was found beaten to death in their building over the weekend.

“She lived on the same floor I live on. She was such a nice lady,” said a man sitting on a bench outside the Lincoln Perry Apartments at 3245 S. Prairie Ave. “It just took tears from my eyes when I heard that, I couldn’t believe it.”

Mae Brown was found unresponsive in a wheelchair in her ninth-floor apartment around 3:40 p.m. Saturday after someone told police they couldn’t get hold of her, officials said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

La Voz Sidebar

Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago, la sección bilingüe del Sun-Times.

An autopsy determined Brown suffered trauma to her head and face, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Residents told the Sun-Times they have heard rumors about what happened but nothing official from police. No one was reported in custody.

The man who lived on her floor — and who did not want to be identified — said he often spoke with Brown.

“I’d talk to her in the laundry room all the time,” he said. “I’d go in there, and we’d be talking, you know, just conversations. ... Man, I’m telling you, that just took all the life out of me.”

Another resident said the attack has left him “a little shaken.”

“Every now and then I’m making sure that old door is locked,” said Lawrence, who has lived in the building for four years. He did not want his last name used. “Security needs to tighten up.”

Brenda Perry, 75, has lived in the building for about 15 years and said conditions have worsened over the years.

City records show the building has been cited in recent years for malfunctioning elevators and heating units as well as for debris and garbage, peeling paint and a lack of smoke detectors.

“When I moved here about 15 years ago, it was a beautiful building — clean, beautiful grounds, flowers, trees, everything,” Perry said. “Then they just let it deteriorate.”