A Chicago man who served 30 years for the cold-blooded murder of two pregnant women has been charged with killing his wife just weeks after he was released.
Joseph Wingard, 49, avoided a life sentence because he was only 17 when he shot April Fields, 22, and Shedrene D. Handy, 20, in 1991.
He went on the run in June this year after the body of his wife Loné P Williams, 60, was found by her son in a pool of blood at the couple’s home in South Holland.
Williams’ family paid an emotional tribute to their mother in August and community groups provided $5,000 for his recapture.
Now he has been charged with first-degree murder after being arrested by police this weekend after five months on the run.
Joseph turned himself in again to the police in South Holland on Saturday evening after five months on the run and was charged with first-degree murder
Lone P Williams was found dead in a pool of blood by her son in the home she shared with Wingard in June, five months after the killer was released from prison
“It breaks my heart because she cared deeply about your family and you did that to my mother,” daughter Lone M Williams said
“It breaks my heart because she cared deeply about your family and you did that to my mother,” daughter Lone M Williams said at a press conference in August.
Fields was seven months pregnant and Handy two months pregnant when Wingard shot them on Super Bowl night in June 1991.
He was dating Fields’ best friend at the time and was angry about what he saw as her interference in their relationship.
After an argument with his girlfriend, he went to the Calumet City apartment where Fields lived and told her his girlfriend wanted to talk to her outside.
As she began to walk down the stairs, he shot her in the back of the head with a pistol, fatally wounding her.
He then walked back to Fields’ apartment, where he saw Handy talking to his girlfriend on the phone.
“I could tell she was scared, so I knew she knew I shot her,” he later told police. “So I had to shoot her.”
He shot Handy in the eye, then took $180 from Fields’ car outside before returning to the apartment a third time and shooting Handy again.
He was charged with two counts of murder, two additional counts of intentional murder of unborn children and robbery before being convicted in 1994.
While in prison, he joined a pen pal site for prisoners, where he described himself as “a really decent guy.” “I just want to meet and greet a nice woman, with no strings attached,” he said.
“I’m a really decent guy and it’s hard to meet someone who can look past the belief and actually meet the person,” he continued.
Wingard in his 2011 profile photo on an inmate’s pen pal website
Things are never what they seem on the surface (sic) and within these walls beats a human heart just like yours.”
Williams’ family said they were getting “bad feelings” from Wingard, who they feared was financially exploiting the church assistant after she was awarded a settlement for a personal injury lawsuit.
Daughter Loné said her brother saw a car believed to be Wingard’s from her driveway, long after her murder was believed to have occurred.
“South Holland police have confirmed that Joseph Wingard shot Ms. Williams multiple times and moved her deceased body into a bedroom while he himself lived there for several days,” the family said in August.
“Joseph Wingard, you are a coward who targets women and we will find you,” said Early Walker, who helped raise the $5,000 reward.
In 1991, Wingard stopped a Chicago police car on the South Side and surrendered, and on Saturday evening he turned himself in again to police in South Holland.
“He had no relationship with this family,” said the murdered woman’s cousin, the Rev. D’Arcy Kent. “When you deal with monsters like this guy, that happens.”