‘ Neighborhood cigarette man’ murdered over pack of smokes, prosecutors say

A 76- year- old grandfather who allegedly murdered the “neighborhood cigarette man” over a pack of smokes he refused to pay for never even got a chance to light up before he was taken into custody over the weekend.

When Jesse Howard was pulled over in his blood- spattered blue Cadillac 10 minutes after shooting 64- year- old Lawrence McNeal Sunday night in Brainerd, Chicago police officers found the unopened pack of Newports and a revolver on the passenger seat beside him, Cook County prosecutors said this week.

The senior citizen later admitted to detectives that he shot McNeal and lamented that he should have robbed him of “all of his money and cigarettes,” Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Deboni said.

Howard had been buying his smokes from McNeal — who sold cartons and loose cigarettes in the area — for years.

After McNeal had parked his car in the 9000 block of South Laflin Street around 6 p. m. Sunday, he was approached by a man who had stopped to chat, and by Howard, who asked to buy a pack, Deboni said.

But when McNeal handed Howard the Newports, Howard refused to pay, telling McNeal he could pay him the next day, Deboni said. McNeal wanted the money right away, but Howard allegedly walked away with the cigarettes and got into his parked Cadillac. McNeal followed after Howard, and the man who had stopped to chat with McNeal soon heard McNeal say he was going to break Howard’s window, prosecutors said. That man said he could see one of McNeal’s wrists trapped in the driver’s side window of Howard’s Cadillac.

The man heard a gunshot. McNeal fell to the ground, Deboni said.

Fearing he too would be shot, the witness ran and hid behind a bush while Howard sat in the Cadillac for several minutes before driving away, Deboni said. The man, who could see Howard was the only person inside the Cadillac, then called 911.

Judge Susana Ortiz ordered Howard held without bail.