Illinois

Man Charged With First Degree Murder in Death of UIC Student

The suspect has no affiliation with the university or with the victim, according to police

A man is facing first degree murder charges in connection with the death of 19-year-old University of Illinois-Chicago student Ruth George, university police say.

According to UIC Chief of Police Kevin Booker, 26-year-old Donald Thurman has been formally charged with first degree murder and criminal sexual assault in connection with George’s death. Police officials say Thurman will be transported from the UIC police station to the Chicago Police Department lock-up.

Thurman has no affiliation with the university or with the victim, police say.

Police say that Thurman was taken into custody Sunday morning, and that he later confessed to George's murder. 

At approximately 11:15 a.m. Saturday, George was found unresponsive inside of a car in the Halsted Street Parking Garage in the 700 block of West Taylor Street, police say. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to authorities, university cameras showed the suspect walking behind George at approximately 1:35 a.m. on Saturday. George entered the parking garage with the suspect following closely behind her. 

At approximately 2:10 a.m., police say that Thurman was seen leaving the parking garage, walking southbound on Halsted Street. 

University of Illinois-Chicago Police say that they reviewed cameras around campus and footage from the Chicago Transit Authority, which revealed that the suspect frequented the Blue Line. 

Just after 2 a.m. Sunday, UIC detectives observed a person matching the description of the suspect using the Blue Line station at Halsted and Harrison and took him into custody. 

Thurman gave police a full confession on Sunday afternoon, police say. 

According to police, Thurman had been released from prison in December of 2018 after being convicted of armed robbery. He is currently on parole in connection with that previous case.

Contact Us