By Eric Herman, The Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO — A former Chicago Police officer faces life in prison after being convicted Thursday of plotting a murder-for-hire.
A jury deliberated nearly six hours before finding Edward Leak, 45, guilty of hiring two men to kill Fred Hamilton -- on whom Leak held a $500,000 life insurance policy. One of the alleged hit men, John Brown, stood trial with Leak before Judge Diane Gordon Cannon.
“The defendant was the mastermind who set up this entire hit on Fred Hamilton,” Assistant State’s Attorney Tom Mahoney said during closing arguments Thursday.
Hamilton, 35, was shot nine times Feb. 3, 2004. Officers arrested Brown fleeing the scene. The other alleged hit man, Alfred Marley, was arrested later and pleaded guilty in exchange for a 27-year sentence. Marley testified against Leak and Brown.
In addition to being a 14-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, Leak is the nephew of Spencer Leak, president of Leak and Sons funeral homes on the South Side and former executive director of Cook County Jail.
“I’m happy he got convicted, because we knew he was guilty from the get-go,” said Fred Hamilton’s twin brother, Ned.
Hamilton had been an employee of the Leak funeral homes, and sources said Edward Leak and Hamilton were ripping off the business together. The men had also leased cars and taken out credit cards together.
Defense lawyers said the financial relationship between the men explained the life insurance policy, on which Leak submitted a claim after Hamilton’s murder.
In his closing, defense lawyer Patrick Tuite attacked Marley’s credibility and said the prosecution’s entire case depended on him.
But prosecutors said testimony, as well as cell phone records, proved Leak coordinated Hamilton’s murder.
Leak has been in the Cook County Jail since July 15, 2005.
The jury was still out on Brown.
Copyright 2007 Chicagot Sun-Times