By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times
Retired Marine Charles J. Clements brought in the New Year at home on probation rather than a jail cell thanks to Will County Judge Daniel Rozak who decided to sentence the 69-year-old retired bus driver to four years probation in the killing of a neighbor.
Clements was arrested in May 2010 for the Mother's Day shooting of 23-year-old Joshua Funches after Funches' puppy urinated on his winsome grass, reported Chicago's NBC 5.
According to neighbors in his University Park neighborhood, Clements wasn't proud of his award-winning yard, he was obsessed with it. They stated that Clements maintained a well-manicured lawn and threatened to hurt anyone who stepped on his grass.
No one knew just how serious he was until the evening of May 9, 2010.
Witnesses say Funches and Clements began arguing after Clements observed Funches 5 month old Fox Terrier, Gucci, urinate on his front lawn. At some point during the confrontation, Clements pulled a .45-caliber handgun and pointed it at Funches.
What happened from there depends on who you ask.
Witnesses say Funches told Clements, "Next time you pull out a pistol, why don't you use it?" Clements' response to that was to shoot his young neighbor in the abdomen.
However, Funches' mother, Patricia Funches, said the former Marine followed her son as he attempted to walk away from the argument where Clements drew a weapon and fired a single shot, hitting her son in the stomach.
Police arrived and found Funches in front of a vacant home a short distance from Clements' home, bleeding from his abdomen. When the officers went looking for Clements, they found him sitting in his open garage. As they approached him, he allegedly told the officers, "I knew you were coming for me. That's why I changed my clothes. I knew you were coming for me."
Funches was a school bus driver, the father of two small children and his fiancee was pregnant with his third child. Shortly before his murder, he had applied for a job with the Cook County Sheriff's Department.
Neighbors said they didn't know much about Clements as he kept to himself, but they appreciated the pride, albeit dogmatic, he took in his yard. The elderly man even had a sign posted on his mailbox warning the postman not to step on his lawn.
One neighbor, Lloyd Allison, told ABC 7 he knew Clement and his wife for almost 20 years, and described the couple as the "stalwarts" of the block.
Patricia Funches said that although Clements took her son's life, she does not hate him, but she does believe he should have to pay restitution for murdering her son.
Clements was arrested in May 2010 for the Mother's Day shooting of 23-year-old Joshua Funches after Funches' puppy urinated on his winsome grass, reported Chicago's NBC 5.
According to neighbors in his University Park neighborhood, Clements wasn't proud of his award-winning yard, he was obsessed with it. They stated that Clements maintained a well-manicured lawn and threatened to hurt anyone who stepped on his grass.
No one knew just how serious he was until the evening of May 9, 2010.
Witnesses say Funches and Clements began arguing after Clements observed Funches 5 month old Fox Terrier, Gucci, urinate on his front lawn. At some point during the confrontation, Clements pulled a .45-caliber handgun and pointed it at Funches.
What happened from there depends on who you ask.
Witnesses say Funches told Clements, "Next time you pull out a pistol, why don't you use it?" Clements' response to that was to shoot his young neighbor in the abdomen.
However, Funches' mother, Patricia Funches, said the former Marine followed her son as he attempted to walk away from the argument where Clements drew a weapon and fired a single shot, hitting her son in the stomach.
Police arrived and found Funches in front of a vacant home a short distance from Clements' home, bleeding from his abdomen. When the officers went looking for Clements, they found him sitting in his open garage. As they approached him, he allegedly told the officers, "I knew you were coming for me. That's why I changed my clothes. I knew you were coming for me."
Funches was a school bus driver, the father of two small children and his fiancee was pregnant with his third child. Shortly before his murder, he had applied for a job with the Cook County Sheriff's Department.
Neighbors said they didn't know much about Clements as he kept to himself, but they appreciated the pride, albeit dogmatic, he took in his yard. The elderly man even had a sign posted on his mailbox warning the postman not to step on his lawn.
One neighbor, Lloyd Allison, told ABC 7 he knew Clement and his wife for almost 20 years, and described the couple as the "stalwarts" of the block.
Patricia Funches said that although Clements took her son's life, she does not hate him, but she does believe he should have to pay restitution for murdering her son.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We appreciates all comments and fosters free speech, however, keep in mind that we have young readers who peruse our site. Having said that, please refrain from using profane language, and know that flaming will not be tolerated. Spam will not be tolerated.