William C. Smith, a 45-year-old Caucasian man, was a friendly and well-liked resident of his South Loop community in Chicago. Known by neighbors as a "regular guy," he was preparing for a significant life change in the summer of 2016. Smith was in the process of selling his condominium with plans to move to Florida to be with his girlfriend and their newborn child. He was looking forward to starting a new chapter as a father, but his plans were tragically cut short on a Sunday morning.
On August 28, 2016, around 10:00 a.m., Smith left his home in the 1900 block of South Indiana Avenue to walk to a nearby Dunkin' Donuts for a cup of coffee. As he walked through an alley in the 1800 block of South Michigan Avenue, a dark-colored Hyundai pulled up alongside him. The driver, Robert Burgess, a 56-year-old U.S. Army veteran, got out of the car, brandished a .45-caliber handgun, and demanded money from Smith. An argument or altercation ensued, and Burgess shot Smith once in the head. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by the Cook County medical examiner's office at 10:19 a.m.
The Chicago Police Department launched an immediate investigation. Witnesses reported hearing an argument followed by a single gunshot. Crucially, surveillance cameras in the area captured footage of the Hyundai, its license plate, and the suspect. Prosecutors later noted that the killer's distinctive clothing—a Devin Hester Chicago Bears jersey, blue shorts, and white gym shoes—was key to his identification. Following the leads from the video footage, police located Burgess at his home in the 6200 block of South Kimbark Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood later that day.
Upon arriving at Burgess's residence, officers found a wet Devin Hester jersey near a bottle of dish soap. During questioning, Burgess confessed to the attempted robbery and murder. He admitted to police that he had tried to wash Smith's blood from the jersey with the soap. Investigators also recovered the .45-caliber handgun, and preliminary tests linked it to the casing found at the murder scene. Building logs and surveillance video from Burgess's own apartment building corroborated the timeline, showing he left home at 9:06 a.m. and returned at 10:24 a.m., carrying the Bears jersey in his hand because, as he later stated, it was covered in blood.
Robert Burgess was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. At his initial bond hearing, prosecutors detailed the evidence against him, and a Cook County judge denied him bail, calling him a "danger to the community." It was revealed that Burgess, a graduate of Simeon High School and a married father of three who worked for a messenger service, had a prior criminal record, including a 1989 conviction for conspiracy to commit murder.
The case against Robert Burgess proceeded through the Cook County court system. He was ultimately convicted for the murder of William C. Smith. Following his conviction, Burgess was sentenced to serve 55 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The swift arrest and eventual conviction brought a resolution to the case, confirming it as solved.
The brazen daylight shooting shook the South Loop neighborhood, which had been experiencing a rise in violent crime that year. Residents and community members expressed their alarm and sadness over the senseless killing of a man simply going about his morning routine. Smith's neighbor, who was helping him sell his condo, remembered him as a "good guy, friendly to everybody," underscoring the profound loss felt by those who knew him and the tragic reality of a child who would now grow up without a father.
