States Attorney
Elmhurst Man Guilty of First Degree Murder
in Connection with Shooting of Elmhurst Teen
DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph E. Birkett announced today that Judge Robert Anderson found Anson Paape, 40 (d.o.b. 5/17/66) of 846 S. Hawthorne, Elmhurst, guilty of First Degree Murder in connection to the July 9, 2004, shooting death of eighteen year old Michael Murray of Elmhurst.
The guilty finding by the court is the result of an Elmhurst Police Department and State’s Attorney’s Office investigation into a shooting at Paape’s home shortly after 7 p.m. that left Murray dead from a single gunshot wound to the forehead.
During the course of the investigation it was learned that during a party held at Paape’s home, Paape urged four teenagers to go downstairs to the lower level to play a poker-like card game. Bullets were distributed to the players and the cards were dealt. After the first round was played, the winning player was to point a gun loaded with one bullet to the head of the person to his right and pull the trigger. Instead of the winning player pulling the trigger, Paape is alleged to have loaded the gun with a single bullet, spun the cylinder and held it to the head of Michael Murray and fired one shot. The bullet discharged into the forehead of Murray. The frightened teens immediately ran from the home. Several minutes later, Paape also fled the scene.
The Elmhurst Police, with the assistance of the Major Crimes Task Force, immediately attempted to locate Paape. He remained at large for nearly two days until an anonymous tip led them to a friend’s house in Bensenville. Paape was taken into custody and transported to the Elmhurst Police Department.
“Mr. Paape’s outrageous conduct on the night of July 9, 2004, cost a young man his life,” remarked Birkett. “This was no accident. Mr. Paape loaded the weapon, pointed it at Michael Murray’s head and pulled the trigger. I would like to thank Judge Anderson for treating this crime for what it is - murder, plain and simple. This was a pre-meditated plan to engage in extremely dangerous behavior that he knew was likely to cause death. I would like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Joe Ruggiero and Tom O’Connor for their fine work in prosecuting this case. I would also like to express our sympathies to the family and friends of Michael Murray. Hopefully with today’s finding they will be able to find some closure to this terrible tragedy.”
Paape’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 17, 2007.
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