More Disorder in the Court at Alleged Mother-Murderer's Arraignment

About a half dozen spectators were tossed from the courtroom during alleged mother-murderer Charles McCullum's bond hearing last month. At his arraignment Friday morning, only one got the boot.

The arraignment was over in a matter of minutes. But in addition to the spectator ordered out of Judge Robert Livas' courtroom, another had to be escorted back to the gallery by a bailiff after he approached the bench and stood alongside McCullum before the judge.

"I just want to stand next to him," the man told the bailiff as he was led away.

After the hearing, the man claimed to be McCullum's older brother but would not give his name.

"I'm just shocked right now," the man said. "I really don't have any words."

Court records show that McCullum has a 26-year-old brother named Antwone McCullum.

Charles McCullum was represented at his arraignment by attorney George Lenard. Lenard waived a reading of the five-count indictment and entered a plea of not guilty.

McCullum faces two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated battery and a charge of concealing a homicide. He allegedly strangled his mother, 54-year-old Jeanie Parker, in the Fifth Avenue apartment they shared, then stabbed her repeatedly and hammered a knife into her chest with a baseball bat.

McCullum proceeded to dump his mother's body into the Des Plaines River just south of the Jefferson Street bridge, police said.

A prosecutor said McCullum detailed the killing and how he disposed of Parker's body to detectives after he was arrested.

Fire Department divers have searched daily for some sign of Parker's remains and will continue their efforts through the weekend, said Joliet police Cmdr. Brian Benton. The recovery operation will be re-evaluated next week, Benton said.

The man thrown out of Friday's hearing glared at McCullum as he departed. When he opened the courtroom doors to leave, someone in the hallway shouted in to McCullum, "You better be sorry about what you did, homes."

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