Nearly a decade after the fatal shooting of Cook County Judge Raymond Myles, family members gathered Monday at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse in Bridgeview to deliver impact statements ahead of the sentencing of his convicted killer. The April 2017 murder, which took place outside Myles’ South Side Chicago home during a robbery attempt, remains a profound loss for his relatives and colleagues.

Judge Myles, a West Side native and the eldest of 10 siblings, was known as a committed public servant and family patriarch. At the hearing, his son, Raymond Myles Jr., who learned of his father’s death while deployed in Afghanistan, reflected on the personal and professional legacy his father left behind. “I knew him as ‘Dad,’” Myles Jr. said. “He passed down to me the wisdom, principles and values that his father had given to him. I would give anything to have one more conversation with my father.”

Myles’ sister, Vernell Tibbs, expressed the family’s enduring grief and frustration nearly 10 years later. “No one should be made to feel the kind of sorrow that my family has been made to feel,” she said. “If I had a million tongues, I could not explain how important Judge Myles was to our family.”

The hearing drew about 30 relatives and friends. Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Earl Wilson, 54, who was convicted earlier this year of murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, and armed robbery in connection to the shooting that occurred on April 10, 2017, in the 9400 block of South Forest Avenue. Wilson’s co-defendant, Joshua Smith, pleaded guilty to armed robbery in 2024 and received a 35-year sentence.

The trial was held in Bridgeview before DuPage County Judge Jeffrey McKay, appointed due to concerns over potential conflicts of interest among Cook County judges in the case. The slaying was reportedly the first killing of a judge in the region in more than 30 years and sparked an extensive police investigation.

On the morning of the incident, Myles and his girlfriend, Venita Parrish, were heading to their gym routine when they were confronted outside their home by an armed assailant. Parrish testified that Wilson took her bag, mistakenly believing it contained cash, and that she was shot in the leg during the encounter. Audio of her 911 call was played in court again Monday, capturing her pleas for help and the chaotic scene.

Sentencing is scheduled for mid-November. Both prosecutors and defense attorney LaFanzo Palmer agreed that Wilson will receive a life term, with prosecutors seeking an enhanced sentence. Palmer stated, “He’s never going home again — ever — even if you give him the minimum.”

Retired Cook County Judge Nicholas Ford, a longtime colleague of Myles, also offered a victim impact statement. He described Myles as dedicated to helping young people turn their lives around and praised his enduring positive influence on the community. “How can anyone possibly do anything more noble than that?” Ford said.

Myles’ niece, Tamika Tibbs, recalled how her uncle encouraged her academic achievements with the nickname “Miss A” when she earned straight A’s as a child. She expressed a longing to hear that encouragement again.

Before the hearing concluded, Earl Wilson addressed the court, denying involvement in the killing. “I did not kill his father,” he said tearfully to Myles Jr. “Why would I want to take such an asset from my community?”