Three men charged with murder in Zion

Three men were arrested and charged with first-degree murder Sunday in connection with one of two homicides that took place over a 34-hour time span in Zion last week.

Zion Police Chief Larry Booth said the arrests were in connection with the shooting death of Anthony Sanford, 29, whose last known address was in North Chicago.

Bond was set Sunday morning at $3 million each for Laderris D. Bennette, 20, and Marshall D. Johnson, 19, both of Beach Park, and Kersy E. Desarmes, 18, of Zion.

In a prepared statement issued Sunday night, Booth said the three men arranged to meet Sanford in the alley of the 2800 block of Emmaus Avenue and buy marijuana from him.

But instead of completing the drug deal, the men decided to rob Sanford instead and he was shot and killed, Booth's statement said.

Sanford was shot several times in the stomach and chest at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. He was pronounced dead around 5 a.m.

Booth and other members of the Zion Police Department were not immediately available for comment Sunday night.

The Lake County sheriff's office said Sunday night that the three men remained in custody and were due in court at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The second shooting occurred at 12:15 p.m. Friday at a residence on the 2700 block of Galilee Avenue.

Curtis Pride, 33, of Zion, was found in the stairwell of a multifamily dwelling. He later was pronounced dead at Vista East Hospital.

In the second murder, Booth said police believe the victim knew the offender.

"There's no arrest (but) we're making progress," he said.

Police in a release Friday said there was no indication the two cases were related.

"These were not random acts of violence," Booth said Sunday.

The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force assisted Zion police with both cases.