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| Convicted murderer George Field (inset) beat his next-door-neighbor at the YMCA on January 2, leading to the 83-year-old victim’s death 10 days later, prosecutors say. | Chicago Police Department; Google |
An altercation between residents at the Lakeview YMCA in January culminated today with a 55-year-old man being charged with homicide in the death of his next-door-neighbor.
Arthur Cannon, 83, died on January 12, ten days after George Field battered him in Cannon’s room on the facility’s fourth floor at 3333 North Marshfield, according to prosecutors. This month, the Cook County Medical Examiner ruled Cannon’s death to be a homicide with contributing health factors including arteriosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a post-mortem report.
Police were called to the YMCA at 4:45 p.m. on January 2 to handle a battery in progress call. They were directed to Cannon’s fourth-floor room where officers found Field sitting on top of Cannon, who was bleeding from a beating, according to court records.
Cannon told officers that he engaged in a heated verbal argument with Field before Field struck him repeatedly in the body with closed fists. Cannon was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was said to be in “stable” condition. Prosecutors today said Cannon suffered broken ribs and facial fractures in the beating. Cannon’s condition gradually worsened and he was pronounced dead at 2:48 p.m. on January 12, according to medical examiner records.
Field was arrested at the scene in January and was charged with simple battery, but prosecutors dropped the case because Cannon had died and his death was under investigation.
Judge Mary Marubio today ordered Field held without bond.
In 1985, Field was found guilty on four counts of murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of attempted murder in a bench trial overseen by now-deceased Cook County Judge Francis Mahon. Field was sentenced to 35-years on the murder and aggravated battery charges and 30-years on the attempted murder count, to be served concurrently. He was paroled in 2006.
No further details were immediately available about the previous case, but Field’s address at the time was listed in the 5000 block of North Ravenswood and records show the murder case was initially handled by officers from the old 19th (Belmont) District.
