Lyndell DeYoung charged in Chicago postal worker murder

Lyndell DeYoung, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the July 2024 killing of U.S. Postal Service worker Octavia Redmond in Chicago. A Cook County judge ordered DeYoung to be held in custody pending trial.

Prosecutors allege that DeYoung orchestrated a premeditated hit, monitoring Redmond’s mail route in the weeks leading up to the attack. According to court filings, DeYoung allegedly coerced a 15-year-old juvenile into performing the shooting by threatening to kill both Redmond and the teenager if he refused. The juvenile has since been sentenced to five years in juvenile detention.

Investigators utilized cellphone data, surveillance footage, and tracking information from a stolen Dodge Durango to link DeYoung to the crime. The prosecution also identified 22-year-old Yanheim Edwards as an accomplice who allegedly drove the getaway vehicle and assisted in destroying evidence. The attack occurred while Redmond was working her route on South Harvard Avenue.