Alleged Evergreen Ripper's Jury Picked, Trial Starts Tuesday For Prostitute's Murder

JOLIET, IL — A jury was seated Monday for the murder trial of alleged Evergreen Terrace Ripper Drumaine McKinley.

McKinely, 36, was charged with murdering a BackPage prostitute in an Evergeen Terrace laundry room in September 2014.

During McKinley’s bond hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Peter Wilkes said the alleged cold-blooded killer told police he spent the night before the murder drinking with his wife and another couple. McKinley then supposedly strayed off to a casino and decided to look for a prostitute on BackPage.

McKinley found 20-year-old Joslyn Woods of Joliet, Wilkes said, and they met in the laundry room of a building in the Evergreen Terrace apartment complex.

Surveillance video showed McKinley and Woods walking into the laundry room, Wilkes said, and also captured McKinley pulling his pants down and Woods kneeling in front of him. The video went on to show McKinley battering Woods while her hands were raised to protect herself, “pounding and pushing (her) into the wall,” Wilkes said, and then stabbing her repeatedly with a knife.

Evergreen resident Stephanie Gaines discovered Woods’ body about 15 minutes later. Her friend Toinette Platt called the cops.

Officers arrived to find a gory scene in the laundry room, with Woods facedown in a pool of blood and bloody footprints leading away from it, Wilkes said. A knife was on the floor near Woods’ corpse.

The cops tracked McKinley down to a wooded area behind his East Washington Street house. An ex-convict still on parole for gun and drug convictions at the time of his arrest, McKinley explained to detectives that he and Woods were having sex when she suddenly stopped and told him she wanted more money, Wilkes said. He also allegedly claimed Woods was the one who tried to stab him but he blocked the blade.

After he was taken into custody, McKinley told officers he “didn’t mean to hurt her that badly and that he’s going to be gone for the rest of his life,” said Wilkes, who noted that McKinley called the police soon after the killing and told them his “prostitute girlfriend” had been stabbed and he tried to stop the bleeding. McKinley hung up without providing any further information, Wilkes said.

McKinley’s trial was scheduled to start Tuesday.