Wheeling murder: Bond denied for Ahmeel Fowler, charged in murder of Ja'nya Murphy; daughter's body
WHEELING, Ill. (WLS) — The man charged with murdering a Wheeling mother and kidnapping her daughter, who was later found dead, appeared in front of a judge Wednesday after he was extradited from Missouri Tuesday night.Ahmeel Fowler, of Pingree Grove, will remain in Cook County Jail as a “real and present threat” after a judge denied bond to the 26-year-old. He is charged in the death of his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Ja’Nya Murphy.
Her family was in court Wednesday as the state’s attorney laid out the evidence against Fowler. A combination of video and cell phone data place him with Murphy and her 1-year-old daughter Angel Monday, Nov. 8 as the three shopped for baby shoes at Woodfield Mall, and later at her Wheeling apartment.
The state asserts an argument erupted between Murphy and Fowler later that night over phone calls she was getting from the father of her baby, whom the state’s attorney calls Witness Three.
The next day, family became concerned when Murphy did not return phone calls or show up for her job. By 10 p.m. Tuesday, they filed a missing person’s report.
SEE ALSO | Missing toddler’s body found in Hammond pond after Wheeling mom’s murder
Less than eight hours later, Wheeling police and fire conducted a well-being check at the apartment and found Murphy dead at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. The preliminary autopsy shows she was strangled. There was a strong smell of bleach in the air, and the baby was gone.
The state says Fowler left the apartment at 2:40 a.m. on Nov. 9. And at 3:43 a.m., video shows his vehicle at a Hammond, Indiana retention pond where Angel’s body would later be discovered. He then apparently went to his parents’ home, after which he took off for Springfield, Missouri. Along the way he talked to his brother and his brother’s girlfriend, who were there in Springfield and said he was suicidal.
A warrant was issued for Fowler’s arrest on Friday, Nov. 12. When he was arrested, prosecutors said his vehicle had bloody clothing and the stench of bleach – evidence that may have indicated a suicide attempt.
The family declined to speak on camera, as did the state’s attorney. It’s important to note that prosecutors added an aggravated kidnapping charge. Fowler has a 2017 felony conviction for unlawful restraint, for which he received 2 years’ probation. He will be back in court on December 10.
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