Four men charged in cold-case kidnapping and murder

Four offenders reputed members of “Black Souls” and “Vice Lords” street gangs 

Four former or current Chicago street gang members have been charged in a 14-year-old cold case murder of a Broadview business owner who was kidnapped in a ransom attempt and then shot execution-style and dumped in a vacant lot in Gary, Indiana, according to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

First Degree Murder charges have been unsealed in the case involving the murder of Darryl Green, who was kidnapped at gunpoint from his electronics store in west suburban Broadview on June 18, 1999.  Green was 28 years old at the time of his murder.

Charged in the case are Dimeyon Cole, 30, of Chicago; Kevin Mitchell, 46, of Jeffersonville, Indiana; Menard McAfee, 38 and Raymond Winters, 46.  Both McAfee and Winters are currently serving sentences in state prison on unrelated violence charges. 

According to Cook County prosecutors, the four men had affiliations with the Black Souls and the Vice Lords street gangs at the time of the murder.  The four abducted Green at gunpoint from his beeper store, “Beep the Twinz,” located at 2124 S. 17^th Avenue in Broadview.  Green was bound and driven in a van to a residence on Chicago’s west side.  The offenders made a series of telephone calls to Green’s twin brother seeking a cash ransom for his release.  In the last call, which was recorded by police, Green’s brother was told to “make arrangements for your brother.” 

The victim was then forced back into the van with all four offenders and was driven to a secluded area near 20^th and Grant in Gary, Indiana.  Witnesses in the area reported seeing a van drive up to the area, and four individuals were seen exiting the vehicle and carrying a person from the van into the woods.  Gunshots were heard shortly thereafter and Gary police later discovered the body, soon identified as Green, with three gunshot wounds to the head. 

According to prosecutors, police determined at the time of the murder that Mitchell was known to regularly drive a van that matched the description of the one observed by witnesses in Gary.  Four months after the murder, police stopped Mitchell while he was driving the van and conducted a search subsequent to a search warrant.  Evidence identifying Green’s DNA was discovered in the search, but authorities were unable to obtain additional corroborative evidence to bring charges. 

Telephone records were subsequently identified that revealed that the telephone that was used to make the ransom calls showed subscriber information that listed a prior address for Winters.  Investigators and prosecutors with the FBI and the State’s Attorney’s Gang Crimes Unit continued the investigation, identifying new witnesses and additional evidence leading to today’s charges. 

The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain allegations that are not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.