A second man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the beating death of an elderly church deacon in his Lockport Township home more than six years ago.
Lamont Evans, 43, of Champaign, was taken into custody at his apartment Thursday afternoon by Will County sheriff’s investigators and local police.
Evans is scheduled to appear Friday morning at a bond hearing in Champaign County Court and is expected to be returned to Will County to face murder charges.
Earlier this week Will County police arrested Frank Chandler, 26, of Joliet on a no-bond warrant in connection with the death of Ollie Ely, who was severely beaten in his home on Sept. 8, 1987.
Chandler and Evans allegedly attacked Ely, while looking for $650 in cash that belonged to the Shiloh Baptist Church where Ely was a deacon.
Ely was in a coma for six weeks before he died on Oct. 24, 1987.
On Wednesday, Circuit Court Judge Gilbert Niznik continued the Chandler case until Feb. 23 after the defendant said that he wanted to hire a lawyer. It is expected that both men will be indicted by a grand jury before that date.