An Indiana man accused of fatally shooting and dismembering a 68-year-old man in a North Lawndale home before setting him on fire in March allegedly searched the internet about firearms, dismembering a body, setting a fire and concealing DNA and fingerprints days before the attack.
Prosecutors this week charged Deparris Slaughter, 32, of Munster, Indiana, with first-degree murder, dismembering a human body, concealing a homicide and residential arson.
Chicago police arrested Slaughter Saturday. A Cook County judge on Monday ordered Slaughter detained while his case proceeds.
Slaughter is accused of shooting Michael Lipford and dismembering his body on March 7 at Lipford’s home in the 2300 block of South Kirkland Avenue. He allegedly also set Lipford’s body and home on fire. Prosecutors did not offer a motive. Authorities say Slaughter was Lipford’s caregiver.
According to prosecutors, Lipford was found in the home’s basement with his arms and right leg severed, a deep cut to his left leg and a gunshot wound to his neck. Police found his severed arms wrapped in green plastic in a garbage bag next to his body, prosecutors said.
Lipford died from the gunshot wound, and the dismembering and burning appeared to be postmortem, prosecutors said, citing a report from the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Prosecutors said police first detained Slaughter in a traffic stop March 9 and found a gun and a red gas can in his car. They said ballistic analysis linked the bullet in Lipford’s body to the gun, and the gas can tested positive for gasoline.
A search of Slaughter’s phone found internet queries that include “what happens if you kill someone,” “which knife is best to cut through a human arm,” “what caliber of bullet causes more damage,” and “how to remove changing fingerprints with superglue or sandpaper.”
Slaughter’s next court appearance is set for Dec. 24. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.