Shearly Gaines, 69, of Chicago, was charged with one felony count of first-degree murder after she was arrested on Wednesday, Chicago police said.
She was ordered to be held without bail in bond court Friday, according to the state’s attorney’s office., was found unresponsive in her wheelchair inside her home in the Lincoln Perry senior apartments Saturday afternoon.
Chicago police were called to Brown’s apartment on Oct. 12 by Gaines, who wanted to report a theft because Brown had been the payee for Gaines’ Social Security disability payments, according to the state’s attorney’s office. Gaines was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 20. Gaines was then seen on video surveillance footage entering Brown’s apartment on Oct. 13 wearing a blue sweatshirt and carrying a blue purse, authorities said. No one else was then seen entering or leaving the unit until surveillance showed Gaines leave on the morning of Oct. 15. Brown’s unit only had one point of entry, which was the interior hallway of the apartment building, the state’s attorney’s office said.