A 25-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday and was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the shooting death last March of a South Side newspaper publisher and the wounding of his son.
Roscoe Evans, 7038 S. Sangamon St., was sentenced by Cook County Criminal Court Judge Earl Strayhorn to 40 years for the murder of Charles Armstrong Sr., 61, publisher of the Chicago Metro News, and 10 years for the attempted murder of Charles Armstrong Jr., 25.
Evans walked into the offices of the Chicago Metro News last March 25, carrying a cardboard box addressed to Charles Armstrong Sr., according to Assistant State`s Attorneys John Farrell and Larry Victorsen.
Evans went to the third floor of the building at 2600 S. Michigan Ave. and unwrapped the .22 rifle that he had in the box, Farrell said. He first shot and wounded Charles Armstrong Jr., who worked at the paper with his father.
Then, said Farrell, ”he burst into the room with the rifle in his hands and opened fire.” After fleeing the building, Evans then attempted to kill himself by swallowing a crystal drain cleaner, Farrell said.
Evans had a longstanding feud with the Armstrong family after the elder Armstrong`s 23-year-old daughter, Patricia, spurned his love, Farrell said.
When Evans opened fire, Charles Armstrong Jr. put his hands to his face to protect himself, but a bullet went through his hand and lodged in his jaw, Farrell said. He said the bullet is still there because doctors fear more damage may be done if it is removed.
Evans next walked into the newspaper`s main office, where he found Armstrong Sr. sitting at his desk. He fired once, hitting Armstrong in the chest and killing him.
Then Evans walked through the office, looking for other members of the family, according to Farrell. ”Fortunately, Patricia wasn`t there,” and her sister, who also worked at the paper, had gone to lunch, he said.
Evans fled the office and went into an alley, where he swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of drain cleaner and ”was staggering around gagging and holding his throat when police saw him,” Farrell said.
The next day, Evans–who couldn`t talk because his suicide attempt injured his throat–drew police a sketch of a nearby roof, showing them where he had tossed the rifle.
Evans` fight with the Armstrong family began in 1983, when he chased Armstrong`s wife with a knife until her son came to her rescue, Farrell said. Evans was angry because Patricia, who had been dating him, refused to see him anymore. He was given a year`s probation for the 1983 attack and ordered to undergo psychiatric counseling, Farrell said.
But in May, 1984, Evans came to the newsroom and ”took Patricia out of there at gunpoint,” threatening to kill her and himself, Farrell said. Patricia talked him out of shooting, but he continued to call her, Farrell said.
The Friday before the murder, Evans called again. ”She told him to leave her alone, and he said he was going to come down there and destroy their family,” Farrell said. ”And he did.”
