#48 of 2020: Hijackers killed a man. Their alleged getaway driver was awaiting trial for a felony.

March 17, 2022 8:59 AM CWBChicago Citywide

Prosecutors on Wednesday charged two men and a juvenile with killing a 52-year-old man during an attempted carjacking in April 2020. One of the men, Malik Boyd, was a 17-year-old with a pending juvenile felony case at the time of the murder.

Boyd is at least the 48th person accused of killing or shooting — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago during 2020 while awaiting trial for a felony.

A familiar name

If Malik Boyd’s name sounds familiar, it may be because you read about him on CWB last summer.

On July 6, a 32-year-old woman learned through a friend that her stolen car was parked on the 5000 block of West Erie. So, she went there to investigate. As she inspected the car’s vehicle identification number, she heard someone behind her yell, “up them keys.” She turned around to discover 18-year-old Boyd pointing a gun at her, Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Burkhardt said.

Malik Boyd | CPD

Boyd allegedly ordered the woman to drop her keys and then raised his gun as if he would pistol-whip her. He then ordered an accomplice to go through the woman’s pockets and used her keys to drive away with her car, Burkhardt said.

The woman’s friend who found the stolen car just happened to take photos of the vehicle that showed Boyd and his accomplice going through the abandoned car about 30 minutes before she showed up to reclaim it, Burkhardt said. Detectives recognized Boyd from those photos.

Police found the woman’s twice-stolen car about five days later, and officers arrested Boyd. He was carrying a loaded handgun when cops arrested him, Burkhardt said.

Boyd has been jailed on carjacking and gun charges ever since.

New charges, old murder

On Wednesday, prosecutors said Boyd was the getaway driver for a carjacking team that killed 50-year-old Robert Johnson on the 4700 block of West Fulton early on April 7, 2020.

Johnson’s live-in girlfriend of 28 years

had to be at work at 4 a.m., so Johnson, licensed to own a firearm, tucked his gun into his pocket and escorted her to her car, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said. It was a routine that Johnson and the woman followed.

The woman was in her driver’s seat, and Johnson was speaking with her through her open window when a white car driven by Boyd pulled up next to them, Murphy said. Boyd stayed in the car as Jimmy Walker, now 21-years-old, a juvenile who is now 17-years-old, and an unknown offender allegedly got out.

Johnson and Walker exchanged gunfire as the woman ducked down in her car. A ShotSpotter detected four gunshots fired. When she raised her head, Johnson was on the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest. The white car was driving away.

CPD and private surveillance video tracked the white car’s movements. Three minutes after the shooting, it pulled up to West Suburban Hospital. Boyd got out of the driver’s seat, and Walker was wheeled inside for treatment of a gunshot wound to his chest and stomach, Murphy said.

Boyd, the juvenile, and the unknown fourth person allegedly fled in the car after Walker went inside.

Later the same day, Boyd was shot in an unrelated incident, Murphy said. He was allegedly seen on video at Loretto Hospital, arriving in the same white car and wearing the same clothing as the driver who dropped Walker off at West Suburban.

Tactical officers who work the West Side recognized Walker, Boyd, and the juvenile by name as local street “Money on Hubbard” street gang members, Murphy said.

Boyd was adjudicated delinquent for possessing a stolen motor vehicle and escape from electronic monitoring cases from 2019 and unlawful use of a weapon in 2020.

Walker is charged with first-degree murder, attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, and attempted armed robbery with a firearm. Boyd and the unnamed juvenile are charged with murder during the commission of a forcible felony, attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, and attempted armed robbery with a firearm.

Judge Kelly McCarthy ordered Boyd and Walker held without bail. Further information about the 17-year-old is not available because he is charged in juvenile court.

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals who have been charged with murder, attempted murder, and shooting firearms while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has made arrests in just 4% of shootings and 31% of murders, according to the city’s data. You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.

Previous 2020 cases