Jose L Rico

Jose L. Rico, a 21-year-old Hispanic man from Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, was remembered by friends as a funny guy, a talented soccer player, and a freestyle rapper. Those who knew him said he was the "realist person you'll ever meet" and someone who "always said things how they were." A graduate of Mather High School, he had also attended Wilbur Wright College. His life was cut short in what prosecutors would later describe as a fatal robbery set up under the guise of a drug deal.

Just after midnight on Sunday, October 1, 2017, residents in the North Park neighborhood heard gunshots. At 12:18 a.m., Chicago Police officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 5000 block of North Bernard Street. They found Jose lying face-down on a secluded footbridge that crosses the Chicago River, a block from Von Steuben High School. He had been shot multiple times in the head and chest. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at 12:43 a.m. The area was known for being relatively quiet, and the violent death shocked the community.

The Chicago Police Department immediately began an investigation, with the Albany Park Police District Commander stating that "every available resource has been assigned." Detectives worked the case for nearly a year before a break led them to two suspects. The investigation revealed that the meeting on the bridge had been arranged so the perpetrators could rob Jose of marijuana.

In the summer of 2018, authorities made arrests in connection with Jose's murder. On July 2, 2018, police took 20-year-old Hernan Cortes of the Albany Park neighborhood into custody. According to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, Cortes provided detectives with a statement detailing his and an accomplice's roles in the deadly robbery. This information led investigators to their second suspect.

On August 31, 2018, police charged Luis Cano-Padilla with first-degree murder. He was already in custody for an unrelated matter when the charges were filed. Prosecutors accused Cano-Padilla of being the gunman who shot Jose in the head and chest. Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini stated in court that after shooting Jose, Cano-Padilla went through his pockets as he lay dying before both assailants fled with his property. Detectives also located witnesses who reported hearing Cano-Padilla discussing the shooting and warning at least one person not to speak about it.

Both Hernan Cortes and Luis Cano-Padilla were charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. At a court hearing on July 4, 2018, Cortes was denied bail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on August 9. Similarly, at a hearing on August 31, Cano-Padilla was ordered held without bail. As of September 2018, both men were awaiting further court proceedings in the Cook County judicial system, bringing the case into the litigation phase.