A 15-year-old girl is facing a first-degree murder charge after Chicago police say a 29-year-old man was pushed from a moving CTA Red Line train and killed on the tracks below.
Kyle Bickham had been heading home to Lansing after working at an Amazon warehouse in Cicero when the Monday afternoon trip turned fatal. His family later described him as a man who worked hard, had recently moved into a new apartment, and was trying to build a life for himself.
Police arrested the girl Friday, four days after Bickham died near the 69th Street station. She appeared in juvenile court Saturday, where a judge found probable cause on all counts and ordered her held in custody, according to CBS News Chicago.
The murder charge capped a rapid change in the case. What began publicly as a report that a man had jumped from a moving train became a homicide investigation after police said the evidence pointed somewhere else.
A Different Story
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The first account released after Bickham’s death said he had jumped from the moving Red Line train around 2:30 p.m. Monday and landed on the electrified third rail before another train struck him.
By Tuesday morning, that account had changed. Chicago police said three people pushed Bickham from the moving train during an altercation near 69th Street. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified him as Bickham, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Police have not said publicly what led to the confrontation. The current CBS report says the 15-year-old used force to push Bickham from the train and that police believe three people were involved. No other arrests had been announced as of Saturday.
Four Days Later
The girl was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder, mob action, murder by other forcible felony, and aggravated battery to a transit employee, CBS reported.
At Saturday’s juvenile-court hearing, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said the court found probable cause on all counts and ordered the girl to remain in custody. She is due back in court Monday, Sept. 14.
On His Way Home
Bickham’s parents told CBS News Chicago that their son had been returning home after work when he was killed. They said they did not know what could have led to the confrontation and, as far as they knew, he had no connection to the people involved.
A fundraiser organized by Chris Bickham Jr. described Kyle as a son, brother, uncle, relative, and friend who was “goofy, kind, caring” and could bring laughter to the people around him.
The family was expected to speak publicly again Sunday while asking witnesses and anyone with information about Bickham’s death to come forward. Police had announced one arrest by Saturday, while their account of the encounter still involved three people.