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North Aurora man convicted in 2020 gang-related double murder

By Cody King
Published  February 14, 2025 4:01pm CST
Kendall County
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • Guilty verdict: James Brown Jr., 31, was convicted of first-degree murder in a 2020 Veterans Day shooting that killed Cassandra and Changina Chatman.
    • Gang-related shooting: Prosecutors said Brown, a Black Disciples gang member, fired 14 shots into a Boulder Hill home in an act of gang retaliation.
    • Life sentence: Brown was tracked down through surveillance footage and arrested; he now faces life in prison without parole.

ILLINOIS - A North Aurora man was found guilty in a 2020 double murder following a four-day jury trial last week.

The verdict came after just three hours of jury deliberation.

What we know:

James Brown Jr., 31, was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder in a 2020 Veterans Day shooting.

Pictured is James Brown Jr., 31. (Mugshot is from 2020) (Kendall County Jail)

The shooting happened around 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 in the Boulder Hill subdivision when 14 gunshots were fired into a home.

Six people were inside at the time. Two victims, Cassandra Chatman and Changina Chatman, were struck and later died from their injuries, prosecutors said.

Investigators determined the shooting was gang-related retaliation, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Authorities used footage from multiple neighborhood cameras to identify a black Porsche as the suspect's vehicle. The car was later found in North Aurora, and police followed it to a residence, where multiple people, including Brown, were taken into custody.

Prosecutors said Brown was identified as a member of the Black Disciples street gang.

What's next:

Following the guilty verdict, Brown will be serving a life sentence without parole.

The Source

  • The information in this article was provided by the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office. 

Kendall CountyCrime and Public SafetyNews