Jermaine Myles Died 7 Years After Being Shot, And His Parents Want Murder Charges Against The Man Convicted Of Shooting Him
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Jermaine Myles died seven years after he was shot and paralyzed.
At the time, his assailant went to prison for the shooting. But the victim died, and his family says that now makes it murder.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Thursday night, Myles' mother and father continue to grieve the death of their son.
"He loved his children," said Myles' mother, Francine Myles. "He loved his children."
"He had a heart of gold," said his father, Kenneth Carthan.
Yet Jermaine Myles spent the last seven years of his life confined to a wheelchair. He became paralyzed after someone shot him in the neck at 93rd Street and Stony Island Avenue in 2014.
"He was a fighter to the end," Carthan said.
And now, six months after his death, Myles' parents are fighting for him.
"We just want justice," said Francine Myles.
They are not looking for an arrest in the case – that happened a long time ago. Anthony Buckhanan is serving an 11-year prison sentence downstate for shooting Myles.
What Myles' parents do want is a murder charge.
Myles' death certificate states his death was a homicide – even though he got shot seven years before.
"Because it was what caused it, it was the chain reaction that caused the organ failure; everything; the suffering," said Francine Myles.
"We've accepted the fact he was shot. We accepted the suffering he went through," added Carthan.
Btu this mother and father cannot accept that six months later, no one from the Cook County State's Attorney's office or the Chicago Police Department will let them know if the case will be reopened.
"What I cannot accept is if you let him out and don't pursue the charges," Carthan said.
The Illinois Department of Corrections website shows Buckhanan is eligible for parole next year – and the parents want him to face the new charge before he has a chance of walking free.
IF he gets out it's no telling where he'd go
Despite formal letters to the State's Attorney's office and CPD, Francine Myles said, "They're not telling us anything."
A spokesperson for the State's Attorney's office said if they are contacted by police with additional information, they would review for further charges.
"Please stop passing the buck," said Francine Myles. "If you're waiting for the police to give you something, then contact the police."
While the State's Attorney's office is waiting to hear from the CPD, we are too. CBS 2 reached out to police to find out whether they stand, but they did not get back to us Thursday night.
