Man charged in death of teen found in Dumpster
June 10, 2012 6:14PM
Updated: July 12, 2012 6:11AM
A family acquaintance stands accused of murdering a 16-year-old south suburban girl who was found dead Thursday in a Dumpster in Indiana.
John Hurt, 27, of the 600 block of Wentworth Avenue in Calumet City, was charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death, according to a news release from the Calumet City Police Department.
Bond was set at $1 million when Hurt appeared in bond court Sunday.
Police said the family of Jessica Tetter, 16, knew Hurt.
Tetter, who also lived in the 600 block of Wentworth Avenue in Calumet City, was reported missing on Wednesday by her mother, police said. The mother told police that her daughter left their house about 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday and did not return, police said, and authorities began a search that yielded no results. Tetter was not a habitual runaway, police said.
A day after Tetter’s mother reported her missing, a body was discovered in a trash bin located in the 5900 block of Hyslop Place in Hammond, Ind., authorities said.
In an effort to identify the body, the Hammond Police Department provided a photo of the deceased to their counterparts in Calumet City, and an investigator recognized her as the missing Tetter, authorities said.
The Lake County Indiana Coroner’s office determined that Tetter died from trauma to the head and body, and her death was ruled a homicide.
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