By Ellen Jean HirstTribune reporter3:45 p.m. CST, December 23, 2013
Police say they didn’t have far to go to find the two men who gunned down a Cook County sheriff’s investigator outside a holiday party at a west suburban VFW hall: They followed shoe prints in the snow to a home just 400 feet away.
There they found Brandon Jackson and Gage Thornton, both 22, along with clothes the gunmen were spotted in — including a black ski mask — and a box of ammunition for the .44-caliber handgun used to kill Officer Cuauhtemoc Estrada, 50, last Friday evening, according to court documents.
State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez speaks at a press conference after a judge ordered two men suspected of shooting to death an off duty Cook County Sheriff’s investigator held without bond.
Jackson and Thornton were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery. They were ordered held without bail today by Cook County Judge Ramon Ocasio.
In a videotaped confession, Thornton said he and Jackson had gone to the VFW parking lot at 2817 St. Charles Rd. in Bellwood around 7:30 p.m. Friday to rob someone, prosecutors said. Jackson was wearing a red hoodie, Thornton a red jacket with blue sleeves.
Jackson’s face was covered by a black ski mask and he was carrying the gun, prosecutors said.
Inside, Estrada was hosting a Christmas party for family and friends. His daughter Christina Estrada and her boyfriend pulled up in the parking lot in a white Taurus and were taking out a tray of food when Thornton and Jackson approached, prosecutors said.
“Give it up, give it up,” Jackson yelled, holding the gun at his side, prosecutors said.
Jackson tried to go through the boyfriend’s pockets but he resisted. “I ain’t f—— with you. Get naked, get naked,” Jackson yelled, according to court documents.
Estrada and his son walked out of the VFW and Estrada asked, “What’s going on?”
“This guy’s trying to rob me,” the boyfriend yelled back, according to court documents.
Estrada pulled out his gun “to protect his daughter and her boyfriend” and was shot once in the chest by Jackson, prosecutors said in court documents.
Jackson and Thornton then ran off under a viaduct and back to Jackson’s home, where Jackson called a friend and told him what just happened, prosecutors said.
A few hours later, police knocked on the door of the home and they were let in, prosecutors said. A black ski mask was hanging out of Jackson’s back pocket, prosecutors said. A red hoodie and a red jacket with blue sleeves were found heaped in a pile, prosecutors said.
Police said they also found a box for a .44-caliber gun and 36 .44-caliber cartridges. No gun was recovered.
Two relatives of Jackson and Thornton were allowed in the courtroom for the bond hearing this morning. No relatives of Estrada were present.
Jackson appeared in a white jumpsuit, Thornton in green checkered pajama pants and a bright blue, long-sleeve shirt.
The attack occurred less than two miles from the Maywood block where many family members, including the daughter, Christina Estrada, live.