Jermaine Waterman, a 49-year-old African American man, was found dead on April 13, 2022, in his apartment in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Firefighters responding to a blaze around 12:45 a.m. discovered his body on the first floor of a building on South Elizabeth Street. What first looked like a fatal house fire was later determined to involve a gunshot wound to the head, and Area Two homicide detectives took over the investigation.

Waterman was described by family and neighbors as gentle, hardworking and deeply involved in his community — he worked two jobs and served as head of the block club. His parents, Ronald and Patricia Waterman, spoke of his reliability and the pain his death has caused. No arrests or suspects have been publicly identified, and the motive remains unknown; the cause of the fire has not been disclosed.

Does anyone in Auburn Gresham have information about Jermaine Waterman or what happened that night?