Dead former Valpo golf assistant coach's girlfriend charged with murder

[bbtds]

Did anyone know about this?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-highland-murder-charge-st-0308-20210305-azozf6ev5va2plb5pild4zs35a-story.html%3foutputType=amp

[valpotx]

Can you copy and paste?

[bbtds]

Can you copy and paste?

Charges upgraded to murder in death of Valparaiso assistant golf coach in Highland; girlfriend in custody

By MICHELLE L. QUINN
POST-TRIBUNE |
MAR 05, 2021 AT 3:41 PM

Criminal charges against a Highland woman in the death of her boyfriend have been upgraded to murder.

The Lake County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday charged Raquel Mendoza McCormick with murder in the September death of Valparaiso University Assistant Golf Coach Tom Brankin, 53, outside of her business in downtown Highland.

McCormick, 48, of the 3300 block of LaPorte Street in Highland, was initially charged in September with attempted murder/attempted intentional killing of another and aggravated battery when the assault poses a substantial risk of death and domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon.

McCormick appeared for an initial hearing in Lake Superior Court Friday, where she filed a petition to let bail, court records said. She is currently in custody at the Lake County Jail.

Highland Police officers were sent to the 2900 block of Highway Avenue for a domestic disturbance around 7:25 p.m. Aug. 11 when they found Brankin unconscious and missing his right shoe, the probable cause affidavit said. A woman who was standing by him identified herself as McCormick and said she and Brankin, had just gotten some ice cream across the street and she was trying to leave, records said, before telling the officer she didn't need any assistance from him or EMS, records said.

As Brankin continued to lay on the ground unconscious, McCormick told police they'd just returned from going out to eat and started arguing when she wanted to leave, according to the affidavit. She told the officer she wanted to leave, but Brankin "blocked her," and she ended up hitting him with her 2018 black Chevrolet Equinox, records said.

A Highland detective then went behind McCormick's business, Wine House, 2933 Highway Ave., found the car and had it towed, records said.

Two hours later, the detective met with McCormick at the Highland Police Station, and she told him she and Brankin had returned from a day of shopping in Tinley Park, Illinois, when they stopped to check on Wine House, records said.

They then went across the street to get ice cream, but the order was taking long, at which point they'd gotten into a "heated" argument about unresolved family issues, court records said. The couple went back to Wine House, and McCormick said she wanted to leave but he didn't want her to go, and as he reached into the car, she told him to get out of her way before swerving and hitting him, records said.

Upon further questioning, McCormick told the detective she was cleaning Wine House while Brankin was getting ice cream, records said. The two had been arguing in Wine House's parking lot, and she got into the car, which was facing the building, records said. Brankin, according to McCormick, was "mocking her" and came to the passenger's side window holding a hot dog before stepping in front of the car as she was backing up slowly, records said.

McCormick then said Brankin asked her if she was going to hit him and she replied, "Yeah, I'm gonna hit you because you're standing in front of me. The detective asked whether she pulled forward and hit him, and she confirmed she did, but not hard, records said. She said pulled away but saw Brankin on the ground in her rearview mirror, records said. She returned when she saw he wasn't moving and called 911.

Brankin suffered fractures to the orbital bones of both eyes, brain swelling, two areas of subdural hematoma/bleeding to the right side of the brain, and significant bleeding/edema to the brainstem area of the head, records said. He died Sept. 1.

Brankin, an accountant by day, was a scratch golfer who played four years at Valparaiso University and earned academic all-conference honors. He was also an excellent bowler and spent 12 years as a basketball assistant at Highland, where he also was Highland High School's girls' golf coach for a season and worked as a football assistant at Highland as well as Calumet and East Chicago Central high schools.

In his spare time, he coached travel baseball and high-level AAU basketball. He also was a volunteer assistant coach for the Valparaiso University men's golf team for the past two seasons.

[valpotx]

That is just messed up.  Further proof that taking deep breaths when agitated, can go a long ways...

[M]

He was pretty well known in the region. He coached several sports at several different high schools (I believe in an assistant role) and was involved with some AAU basketball.