Two Men Arrested Over Murder of Elderly Indian American Landlord in Illinois

By Little India Desk | October 4, 2018

Two men have been arrested and charged over the murder of an elderly Indian American landlord. The accused were denied bail by the judge in Cook County, Illinois.

Vasudevareddy Kethireddy went missing on Aug. 4 and his body was discovered in a sewer in the Englewood neighborhood on Sept. 28. The place was across the street from a property that he owned, and near where his car was found on Aug. 7, CBS Chicago reported.

Elijah and Tony Green were charged with the murder of Kethireddy, 76, after detectives found during the investigation that the two suspects searched the internet to find out how to dispose of a body in a sewer.

Elijah & Tony Green charged this morning with the despicable murder of a 76 year old man. Detectives found the victim after investigation revealed suspects searched internet for how to dispose of a body in a sewer. pic.twitter.com/QcgfE6N7qZ

— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) October 1, 2018

Both the suspects were tenants of the Rolling Meadows landlord and owed him rent money. Kethireddy was last seen on Aug. 4, collecting money from tenants, the report added.

The two men strangled the landlord and later searched for ways to dispose his body in the sewer. In a bond hearing on Oct. 1, the court heard that Elijah Green appeared behind Kethireddy and placed him in a chokehold, resulting in his death due to breathlessness, according to the police statement.

The prosecutors said that the main motive behind the killing was robbery, as the accused got $1,600 cash from the victim, and his credit cards after the murder.

A witness overheard the murder plan on Aug. 3, the report said, adding that the duo deceived the victim into coming to their house by stating there was a leakage issue on the roof.

“Tony Green led the victim to the back of the residence. Elijah Green snuck up behind the victim, put him in a choke-hold and cut off his ability to breathe until the victim died,” Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Jamison Berger stated.

An eyewitness also saw Elijah Green carrying the victim over his shoulders as they drove in the landlord’s car and left the body in the car for a day, before coming the next day to dump the body in the sewer.

“These were two brothers that were shaking my hand and giving me hugs, expressing their condolences,” Shantan Kethireddy, the victim’s son, was quoted as saying by the publication. “It’s really hard for me, I guess, to imagine what life experiences led a family to take the life of a 76-year-old disabled man.”