A 58-year-old man from Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood has been charged with first-degree murder, multiple counts of sexual assault, and kidnapping following a deadly attack on two roommates at their South Side apartment. Authorities reported that Jerry Powe strangled one woman to death and sexually assaulted another in the residence on Thursday.

Police were called to the three-story building at 8119 S. Ellis Ave. shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday, where officers found the body of 36-year-old Shaton Ladd inside the apartment. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as strangulation, ruling it a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The other victim, a 28-year-old woman who shared the apartment with Powe and Ladd, reported being sexually assaulted by Powe after returning home from a night shift at an Amazon facility in Joliet. Prosecutors said Powe entered her bedroom armed with a firearm shortly after 7 a.m., forced her into his bedroom, and threatened her with harm unless she complied with his demands. The victim saw Ladd’s body during the assault. After the attack, Powe reportedly expressed regret before allowing the second woman to leave.

Following the incident, Powe walked into a nearby Grand Crossing police station and told officers, “I killed my girlfriend,” according to his arrest report. He was taken into custody around 10:30 a.m. and provided a detailed confession regarding Ladd’s death, though he denied forcibly assaulting the second woman, claiming their encounter was consensual.

Court documents indicate that the three had lived together since July, with Powe occupying a bedroom near the front door, Ladd sleeping on a living room couch, and the second woman in a separate bedroom. Prosecutors noted that Powe had previously exchanged sex for money with one of the victims, though the precise nature of their relationship remains unclear.

Citing Powe’s “callous and total disregard for life” in both the murder and sexual assault, as well as his extensive criminal history, Judge James Costello granted the prosecution’s request to detain Powe without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to gather details surrounding the case.