Murder suspect turns himself in; victim had high hopes for 2010

Melissa Bridgewater had high expectations for the new year.

Her ex-husband, Jerry L. "Shorty" Hudson, was charged Monday with her murder. At 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, he turned himself in without incident, Oak Brook police said. Hudson was to be questioned and will appear in bond court in DuPage County this morning.

Bridgewater, 45, was shot five times at about 6:30 a.m. on New Year's Day in what police say was a premeditated attack by Hudson. He had been sought since then and was charged with first-degree murder Monday.

A new relationship with a man whom Bridgewater bragged on Facebook "promises to always keep a smile on my face" had her excited for "new 2010 adventures."

On New Year's Eve, the former Proviso East homecoming queen attended a party at the Doubletree Hotel on Spring Road in Oak Brook with fellow step dancers, another new group of friends from a new hobby she had recently picked up. It all came to an abrupt end in the hotel parking lot.

Melissa's mother, Gladys Bridgewater, said Tuesday she felt something was not right when she woke up New Year's Day. A phone call from her grandson, Melissa's son La Var, confirmed the worst.

"I just lost it," Gladys said.

The youngest of three children growing up in Maywood, Melissa tended to keep to herself. Her father, Fred Bridgewater, said her most mischievous act was avoiding doing the dishes by playing outside instead of eating dinner.

"She didn't get involved in a lot of mess," Gladys said. "The other two kids, they always kept me busy. But not her."

Police say Hudson, 49, lured Bridgewater out of the hotel, where she had stayed overnight after the party, by telling her he was ransacking her Bolingbrook home. As she backed out of her parking spot, Hudson rammed into her car with a rental car. He then shot her five times, "execution style," DuPage County prosecutors said.

He then fled in the rental car, a silver 2008 Hyundai Tiburon, heading west on nearby I-88. That car was found Monday night, abandoned in Chicago. Oak Brook Police Department public information officer Mark Kozlowski said he did not know the exact location. The car has been taken to the DuPage County Crime Lab in Wheaton and is being searched by evidence technicians.

The Illinois Crime Commission and DuPage Crime Stoppers were offering an $11,000 reward leading to Hudson's capture.

About two weeks before she was killed, Gladys Bridgewater said her daughter spoke of a new boyfriend. Though Melissa had divorced Hudson five years ago, Gladys fears her new relationship might have contributed to her murder.

"That might have been what got her killed," she said. "She was going to move on with her life and put old stuff behind her and move on."

A physician coding specialist at Cardiac Surgery Associates in Downers Grove for almost 14 years, Melissa was described as a dedicated worker.

"She was a model employee," said Chief Financial Officer Mike Budzynski, who had known Melissa since about 1990 when she worked in the same position for Loyola Medical Center in Maywood. "She always had a smile or a joke. But she also knew when to get serious on the job."

Budzynski said he heard about her death on New Year's Day from a co-worker.

"She was just a pleasant and nice person to be around," he said.

"She will be greatly missed. She was an expert in her field and was respected by all doctors, co-workers and her peers in her field."

That comes as no surprise to her family, which includes two sons, 29-year-old La Var and 21-year-old Julian.

Gladys said she was shocked to learn that Hudson is suspected of the murder. Not only had they gotten along well, but Julian had always taken a liking to him.

"We thought a lot of Shorty," Gladys said. "He always gave us the most respect. I just cannot believe he killed our daughter."

Visitation is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at Melissa's childhood church, First Baptist Church in Melrose Park. The funeral will follow shortly thereafter with a procession leading to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside.