Man charged with fatally shooting mother of 5 on West Side
Robbie York and Melinda Anderson
CHICAGO - A repeat felon is charged with manslaughter for allegedly firing a gun and killing the mother of three of his children.
Robbie York is also charged with being an armed habitual criminal and unlawful use of a weapon in the May 4 shooting that claimed the life of his ex-girlfriend 28-year-old Melinda Anderson, according the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
York, 42, dropped Melinda Anderson off at a West Suburban Medical Center and initially told an Oak Park officer that she was shot in the at home in the 5600 block of West Madison Street, prosecutors said. He left before he could be questioned further.
Melinda Anderson was able to walk herself into the emergency room, but her condition deteriorated and she died the next day, prosecutors said.
York later told his ex-girlfriend’s family that she had somehow shot herself, but later admitted that the gun discharged while he was “opening and closing” it, prosecutors said.
Melinda Anderson’s twin sister also said she didn’t believe York’s claim that the shooting was accidental, citing the Cook County medical examiner’s office findings that the gunshot was close enough that the bullet penetrated her skull.
Melissa Anderson told the Chicago Sun-Times she believes York pulled the trigger “because he didn’t want my sister to move on from him.”
The manslaughter charges are “not justice,” she said.
“That was murder. I don’t care what anybody said,” said Melissa Anderson, who added that she is doing “what I got to do to” in order to take care of her slain twin’s five kids.
Melinda Anderson’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner’s office.
York turned himself into police Monday and allegedly told them the gun discharged when he dropped it on the passenger-side floorboard, prosecutors said.
The weapon has not been recovered and York told detectives he doesn’t know what happened to the gun, prosecutors said.
A Cook County judge on Thursday ordered York held on $350,000 bail.
York has previous convictions for armed robbery unlawful possession of a weapon as a felon, drug and burglary offenses, court records show.
York was expected back in court May 21.