Des Plaines woman charged with murder of grandmother
A 33-year-old Des Plaines woman was charged with first-degree murder Friday after police said she shoved her grandmother during an argument Monday, causing her to strike her head on a chair.
Lynn Bingaman, of the 500 block of West Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines, had her original charges of aggravated domestic battery upgraded Friday after the Cook County medical examiner determined that her grandmother — 83-year-old Betty Knaack of the 2800 block of Eisenhower Drive in Des Plaines — died of blunt head trauma from an assault and ruled her death a homicide.
The argument occurred at about 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, at the home of Bingaman's mother and grandmother, police said.
Des Plaines Detective Cmdr. Randy Akin said the argument was apparently about several things, including Bingaman's wishing to use her mother's computer.
Police said that according to Bingaman's mother, Susan Searls, Bingaman began walking toward the door of the home when Knaack stood up from a chair and tried talking to Bingaman. But police said Bingaman pushed past Knaack, causing her to fall and hit her head on the wooden chair.
Searls then stepped in front of the door and was struck in the face several times by Bingaman using a closed fist, police said.
When police and paramedics arrived, Knaack was conscious and responsive, lying on the living room floor. She was taken to Resurrection Hospital in Chicago for evaluation, but several hours later police learned she was suffering from a critical head injury.
Two counts of aggravated domestic battery were filed against Bingaman in the late afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 2.
In the early hours of Thursday, Oct. 3, investigators learned that Knaack died as a result of her injuries. The same day, Bingaman appeared in bond court in Skokie on her original charges and received a $500,000 bail. She remains in custody.
The medical examiner's findings on Friday led to the upgrade of Bingaman's charges, Akin said. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at the Cook County courthouse in Skokie.