Reginald Williams, the 18-year-old Summit man charged with murder in the death of Susan Potempa, a cancer patient who allegedly hired him to kill her, pleaded not guilty Monday in Cook County Circuit Court in Bridgeview.
The next court appearance for Williams, of 7206 W. Park Ave., is scheduled for Feb. 18, according to a spokeswoman with the state’s attorney’s office.
The Nov. 24 murder gained national attention because Potempa allegedly paid Williams $2,100 to kill her. Police said Williams is accused of strangling the 50-year-old woman until she passed out. However, a few hours later, Potempa regained consciousness and drove around her neighborhood looking for Williams to finish the deed, police said.
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Prosecutors allege that Williams then went back to her home, strangled her with an electrical cord and struck her on the head with a power drill.
Potempa’s body was found Nov. 26 by her husband and son when they returned from a two-day trip to Michigan.
In the weeks before her death, Potempa, who had been suffering from breast cancer for about a year, allegedly talked openly about wanting to find someone to kill her. But police said her queries were not taken seriously and were not reported to authorities until after her death.
Williams is being held on $350,000 bond.