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Chicago Tribune
Saturday, December 10, 2005
A Robbins man accused of shooting and killing a convenience store clerk last month and seriously injuring her father was ordered held without bail Friday in Cook County.
Cornell Tyler, 34, of the 13900 block of South Finley Avenue, was charged late Thursday with murder, attempted murder and armed robbery in connection with the Nov. 25 shooting at Frank’s Food and Liquor in Robbins.
Investigators say Tyler, a regular customer, had argued with clerk Ghada Elayyan, 27, a few days earlier. He returned days later and shot her and her father, Fakhri “Frank” Elayyan, 62, the store’s owner, despite their pleas for mercy, prosecutors said.
Defense attorneys said Tyler takes Prozac and other drugs and that he has complained of hearing voices in his head.
The elder Elayyan remains hospitalized and does not know that his daughter is dead, said Lina Elayyan, 34, her sister.
A spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office said Tyler would be eligible for the death penalty, but prosecutors have not decided if they will seek it.
Prosecutors said Tyler visited an uncle about a week after the quarrel and told him he wanted to return to the store to “rob and kill the victims because they were nasty.”
Record Number: CTR0512100183
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