Man Questioned In Killing Of Criminologist, Other Attacks

CHICAGO, IL — Police told Patch they are questioning a person of interest in connection to the fatal stabbing of a 31-year-old grad student on South Wacker Drive last weekend. Police said the suspect is also wanted in connection with attacks on two other women downtown this last month.

The man was in custody late Thursday, police said.

Earlier in the week, a community alert from Chicago police described the attacker as "possibly homeless" and in his 30s. Police said he is Black, about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11, and could have dreadlocks.

Anat Kimchi, a grad student from the University of Maryland, was walking in the Loop on Saturday at around 4 p.m. when a man stabbed her multiple times in the upper back. She was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Kimchi was visiting friends while working on her doctoral degree in criminology at the University of Maryland, according to her family.

Police said the same man who killed Kimchi attacked two other women around the same area and with a similar method: approaching them from behind and striking them with an object.

Police suspect the man of hitting a 25-year-old woman in the back of the head on June 10 as she walked on the 500 block of South Franklin Street. A few days later, on June 13, police said the same man hit a 50-year-old woman multiple times and stole her belongings before running away. Both women were hospitalized in fair condition.

Before the person of interest was taken into custody, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a news conference that police knew who the man was, and were looking through various homeless encampments to find him.

"We know who he is. We've got good film of him," she said. "It's awful. No question about it."