Murder Charges Filed In 2023 Death Of Nearly Decapitated Chicago Woman

CHICAGO — A 34-year-old man has been charged with murder more than seven months after the body of his girlfriend was found in a duffel bag with her head nearly severed near her Logan Square apartment.

Genesis Silva has now been charged with first-degree murder and one count of murder (strong probability of death or injury), prosecutors announced. Silva was previously charged with concealing the death of his girlfriend, Brittney Battaglia, who was first reported missing in early June 2023.

The new charges were filed just days before Silva was scheduled to go to trial on the lesser charge. The Sun-Times reported that Silva's attorneys told a judge on Thursday that he could not appear in court because he had been arrested again by Chicago Police and that authorities were seeking murder charges.

Battaglia told her family on June 3 that she was going to see Silva, whom she had been dating for about a year. Her roommate told police that she could not reach Battaglia, whose family then filed a missing person report with the police.

Police went to Silva’s apartment two days later and saw him leaving in his car. Police pulled him over a block away and took him back to his apartment.

Once back in the apartment, police told Silva to remain outside while they secured the area as a crime scene, according to court documents.

However, Silva attempted to sneak back into his apartment, court documents showed, and police found two cell phones, two smaller pocketknives, and an ice pick, according to court documents.

In addition to finding Battaglia’s body inside the duffel bag, officers also found a tarp inside the apartment’s kitchen with two garbage bags, court documents said. Inside the bags, officers found shoes, a bucket, a paint suit, black gloves, Clorox, and a Swiffer.

According to documents, there were no visible signs of blood, but technology allowed detectives to find traces of blood on several of the items. In addition, investigators found crumpled pieces of paper, which included a list of cleaning supplies and a handwritten note that read, “Can you ask avg. time until smell etc.”

Investigators also found a machete inside a backpack that Silva had with him when he was ordered back to the apartment, documents showed. Technology showed that blood was found on the machete, and investigators said they found a second machete inside of Silva’s car.

Prosecutors said that Battaglia had been stabbed multiple times but that she had been slashed in the neck and had nearly been decapitated.

Silva, who is a registered sex offender, was previously charged in 2009 with criminal sexual assault that was originally charged as attempted murder, the Cook County State’s Attorney said in charging documents.

The Sun-Times reported that murder charges were sought by police at the time, but that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office refused and told police to find more evidence.

Silva is scheduled to appear in court on the new charges on Friday.