Man charged with murder in attorney’s death
Colleagues, friends remember Evanston lawyer with affection
Daniel Murray, a former federal prosecutor and trial attorney remembered by colleagues and friends as a “luminously decent fellow,” diedNov. 27.
His death came weeks after he was seriously injured in a seemingly random attack near his Evanston home.
Murray, 71, described as both a wise mentor and highly competitive pick-up basketball player, was well known in legal circles around Chicago. For years, he volunteered his legal services to nonprofits that advocate for incarcerated mothers and those impacted by poverty and racial inequality.
ThewayMurray lived his life made the brutal manner of his death all the more tragic, say those who knew him.
On Wednesday, Cory Gilmartin, 34, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was formally charged with first-degree murder. Prior to Murray’s death, Gilmartin was already in custody on charges related to theNov. 10 attack, including attempted murder and aggravated battery, according to court records.
Police say they are not aware of any connection between the two men.
Murray “was the kind of guy you could reach out to any time, and he would call you back or he’d show up,” said Patty Gustin, a
Naperville city councilwoman who previously worked for Murray as a secretary and paralegal in the U.S. attorney’s office in the Chicago-based Northern District.
For years, Murray also volunteered with area nonprofits where he used his legal knowledge to help others.
Gail Smith, founder and executive director of the former Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers, said Murray volunteered for about 15 years with her organization. He visited women in jail and taught them about criminal procedure so they could better navigate their own cases.
“He was an amazing teacher,” Smith said. “Really clear, really detailed. One of the most generous volunteerswe ever had.”
If other volunteers canceled, Murray told Smith to call him to fill in, she remembered.
“( Clients) could tell when someone really cared about them,” Smith said. “He taught with a lot of spirit.”
Friends and colleagues remembered Murray’s strong moral code, too.
“Dan was a man of conviction, morals and integrity who would say when I was running for city councilwoman, ‘A good elected officialmust rememberit is about community, not self, not money,” Gustin recalled. “Otherwise those elected officials get indicted.’”
Murray was born in Evanston and lived most of his life in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago before returning in retirement to the town of his birth, his family said. He spent his career as an assistant U.S. attorney before joining the Chicago law firm of Johnson & Bell, Ltd. as partner, according to his obituary.
He also volunteered with Cabrini Green Legal Aid and was active with St. Ignatius Parish in Rogers Park.
Murray suffered blunt force head trauma during the Nov. 10 assault. Just after 7 p.m. that night, he walked from his home in the 500 block of Main Street to a nearby restaurant to pick up a take-out order for himself and his wife, Martha, according to the Cook County state’s attorney and medical examiner’s offices.
Murray had Parkinson’s disease and used a walker, according to the state’s attorney’s office. He never made it to the restaurant.
Instead, police responding to a disturbance call encountered Gilmartin, and then found Murray unconscious in a service corridor adjacent to NorthShore Immediate Care. Murray often used the route as a shortcut, according to prosecutors.
About that time, Murray’s wife came looking for him when he didn’t pick up the food or return home. She identified him for first responders.
Security cameras did not capture the initial encounter between Gilmartin and Murray, but did record the latter part of the violent assault, according to prosecutors.
Evanston police Cmdr. Brian Henry said the two mendid not appear to know each other, and could not say why Gilmartin was in Evanston the night Murray was attacked.
Colleagues this week remembered Murray’s dedication to family, as well as his fighting spirit on the basketball court, in the courtroom or when facing Parkinson’s disease later in life.
Gustin said Murray took her under his wing when she was a young mom going through a divorce, and their families remained friends for decades. He was there when she remarried, and they all attended basketball games together at Marquette University — Murray’s alma mater — when Gustin’s daughter studied there.
Connie Henrichs, who worked with Murray as an attorney in the U.S. attorney’s office and is now retired, said Murray encouraged her to go forward with the adoption of her daughter from China, about two decades ago.
“He was very much a family person,” Henrichs said. “I was contemplating doing an international adoption, and he was very supportive. Some people thought Iwas totally insane, but it was the best decision ofmy life.”
Henrichs recalled the wayMurray spoke about his family.
“It reinforced my decision to go forward,” she said.
Tom Walsh, chief of the civil division in the U.S. attorney’s office, said his former colleague never stayed late on Friday nights to swap stories over drinks. Fridays were for pizza with his three kids.
“As much as he would have liked to stay, he religiously made it home in time so the kidswould have a routine,” Walsh said. “He would always try to get home for that Friday night, pizza night.”
As kind and generous as he was to his friends and colleagues, Walsh saidMurray’s competitive nature emerged both on the basketball court and in the courtroom.
“He had a reputation for playing really annoyingly tight defense on basketball games,” Walsh said. “You just didn’twant to be on the other team playing basketball, or in the real court either.”
Michael Hogan, a retired Cook County Circuit Court judge, rememberedMurray from his involvement at St. Ignatius Parish, where both families’ kids went to Catholic school, andwhereMurray loved to play pick-up basketball.
“He was always supporting his children,” Hogan said. Even after they graduated, Murray continued volunteering at the parish.
“Right before the pandemic, when he was having a hard time walking (due to Parkinson’s), he came to the golf outings, sat on the school grounds having brats and hot dogs with everybody,” Hogan said. “It wasn’t easy for him to get there.”
Retired federal judge MikeMason metMurray in 1974, when they both worked for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals while attending law school at night. Murray taught Mason how to file and distribute briefs, and they played basketball together at a gym on Navy Pier. They remained close friends for the rest of Murray’s life.
“He just was a good person. He was a good worker. He did his job. He helped other people do theirs,” Mason said. “He was really kind to people who were down on their luck.”
Murray developed Parkinson’s disease in his early 50s, family members confirmed. But Walsh said that didn’t hold back his old friend.
“He suffered from Parkinson’s disease, or I think Parkinson’s suffered fromDan,” Walsh said.
“Instead of shrinking back into the privacy of his home or office, you’d see him in the (Dirksen U.S. Courthouse) all the time. Whether he had a cane or a walker or looked likehewas going to fall over or not, he just plunged forward and didn’t let it beat him or define him.”
Murray is survived by his wife, Martha Murray, and adult children Michaela, Tyler and BrianMurray.
Gilmartin in scheduled to be arraigned on the murder charge Dec. 18, according to police.