Missing gun found

State police testing to see if .45 is related to area murder

September 28, 2006

By Jonathan Lipman, William Lee and Lauren FitzPatrick Staff writers

The Harvey Police Department's infamous missing gun --the one authorities believe was returned to a criminal's family on Mayor Eric Kellogg's orders -- has been found.

Sources close to the investigation said the gun -- a .45 caliber Remington pistol -- was turned over last week to Robbins police. Police gave it to the Illinois State Police public integrity task force within the past few days.

State police are testing the gun to see if it was involved in a related South Holland murder or in other area crimes.

The gun had changed hands several times on the street before it got to Robbins police, sources said.

The gun disappeared from Harvey police custody after Anthony Reynolds, a felon who did prison time for attempted murder and armed robbery, was arrested in October 2005 for illegal possession of a weapon.

The gun now in state police hands has the same serial number that was recorded for the missing gun, sources said.

While out on bail for the gun charges, Reynolds was arrested and charged with the April 2006 murder of Martell C. Edwards in South Holland.

The gun used in that murder also was a .45 caliber pistol and never was found. State police now hope ballistic testing can tell them whether the gun they have now was involved in both crimes.

The sources asked the Daily Southtown not to publish their names because the investigation is ongoing.

Cook County prosecutors first learned the gun was missing in July as they prepared to try Reynolds on charges stemming from the October arrest.

When they discovered Harvey police no longer had the gun, prosecutors began working with state police on the joint public integrity task force to probe Harvey's police department and other officials.

Recovery of the gun is likely to make prosecution of Reynolds easier, but it also will carry implications for the ongoing public integrity investigation.

Last month, prosecutors charged Harvey police Detective Hollis Dorrough with official misconduct, saying he returned the gun to Reynolds' stepfather, Larry Purnell, in order to sabotage prosecutors' case.

Prosecutors said he did that on the direction of "Public Official A," identified as Kellogg by sources as well as the mayor's own attorney.

Kellogg has not been officially accused of wrongdoing, and he has denied having anything to do with the missing gun.

His attorney, Sam Adam Jr., did not return a call for comment Wednesday but has said previously that he believed the public integrity investigation would find that Dorrough alone was to blame.

Prosecutors spent about three hours interviewing Kellogg in the Markham courthouse Aug. 31. On the way out of the courthouse, Adam joked that the mayor was trading recipes with them.

Harvey police spokeswoman Sandra Alvarado said Wednesday the department was not aware the gun had been found.

Jonathan Lipman may be reached at jlipman@dailysouthtown.com or (312) 782-1286.