CHICAGO, IL – A Chicago grandmother is in jail, charged with commissioning her grandson to snuff his grandfather, according to reports, because she was “sick of him.”
Janet Strickland, 64, was charged with one count each of first-degree murder and armed robbery with a firearm after her husband, William Strickland, 72, was killed in a hail of bullets in front of their home by his 19-year-old grandson, whose name is also William Strickland.
Janet Strickland, who knows about doing things the Chicago way, was not present at her bond hearing on Saturday. She was being held at a local hospital where she was being treated for lung disease and high blood pressure, according to the Chicago Tribune. Her bail was set at $500,000.
In full-on Capone mode, granny Strickland plotted with her teenage grandson, an admitted member of the Black P. Stones street gang, to kill her husband because she was “sick” of Strickland and wanted him dead, said Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline Kwilos.
“They discussed on numerous occasions killing the victim,” Kwilos said during the hearing. “Janet Strickland stated numerous times to her grandson that she was sick of his grandfather and that she wanted her husband dead. She stated she wished he was not here and she wanted him gone.”
William Strickland, 19, also known as “Dashaun,” fatally shot his grandfather in the back six times on March 2, using the grandfather’s gun, according to prosecutors. Police recovered 25 shell casings at the scene, prosecutors said.
In the days leading up to the slaying, the pair considered hiring someone to carry out the hit. But Janet Strickland wanted the murder done quickly, and her grandson resolved that he would be the one to commit the murder. The Thursday before the shooting, Strickland told her grandson that she wanted it done on the next Saturday, Kwilos said.
According to Cook County prosecutors, Janet Strickland allegedly allowed her grandson to take her husband’s gun and use her car to carry out the homicide. “When the defendant unlocked the door and let the victim leave for his dialysis appointment, she admitted that she knew the victim would be killed by the grandson,” said Kwilos.
The old biddy watched as her grandson put six slugs into her husband’s back at around 3:30 a.m. when he exited the home they shared, awaiting a ride to an early dialysis appointment. While her husband lay dying, the pair stole his casino bag filled with money, withdrew money from his bank account and then went on a shopping spree.
Janet Strickland, the beneficiary of her husband’s accounts, bought her grandson a used, red Pontiac sports car, according to DNAinfo Chicago. She also purchased home furnishings for herself, while the teen took his dead grandfather’s wallet and used it to purchase tattoos , gym shoes and a new cell phone. He fired 25 shots and only hit the old man six times in the back. Maybe he should’ve spent some money on shooting lessons.
The 19-year-old was living with his mother and siblings in Wisconsin until he moved in with his grandparents a few months ago, a neighbor, Theolene Shears, told the Chicago Tribune. Police arrested the younger William Strickland on March 30. He’s been held without bond at the Cook County jail. His grandmother was arrested on Saturday. It was not clear whether Janet Strickland had retained an attorney.
