Victim dies following crash that sparked fatal beatings

CHICAGO -- A woman struck by a van last week in an incident that ended with the beating deaths of two men inside the vehicle died Monday, hospital officials said.

Shauna Lawrence, 26, was sitting on a porch when the van hurtled the curb and struck her and two others last week, authorities said. The other women survived.

The driver, Jack Moore, 62, and his passenger, Anthony Stuckey, 49, were attacked and killed by a mob in apparent retribution for the crash. Seven men have been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Police said they do not know what caused the van to veer off the street, but Cook County medical officials have said Moore was legally drunk.

All seven suspects appeared in court Monday; six of them had their cases continued until Aug. 26. The attorney for the seventh defendant, James Ousley, 31, asked that the charges against his client be dismissed, arguing there is no evidence connecting him to the crimes.

Judge John Kirby set a hearing for Wednesday on Ousley's request. His attorney, Sam Adam Jr., said he would return with four witnesses who would testify that Ousley did not take part in the beatings. Adam said his client was giving aid to one of those injured by the van.

"There is no reason to have this man in jail," Adam said.

The lawyer for 16-year-old Antonio Fort, who is charged as an adult, also said he hasn't seen any evidence linking the teen to the beatings.

Authorities say they have videotaped confessions from three of the suspects about their roles in the July 30 mob beating, and solid evidence, including statements from witnesses, against all of them.

The other defendants are: Lamont Motes and Robert Tucker, both 20; Ricky Lawson, 43; and brothers Roosevelt Lawrence, 43, and Henry Lawrence, 47. All seven are charged with first-degree murder, felony mob action and felony murder based on mob action.