ATTORNEY NEGOTIATED SURRENDER; LATHEM ‘ WASN’T IN GOOD SPIRITS’
New details are emerging about how authorities found the two men wanted in connection with the July 27 brutal stabbing death of a 26- year- old Chicago man.
Northwestern University professor Wyndham Lathem, 42, surrendered Friday night at the Oakland, California, federal building around the same time Oxford College employee Andrew Warren, 56, was turning himself in to police in San Francisco, according to Michael McCloud, a fugitive task force commander with the U. S. Marshals Service.
Arrest warrants had been issued for the two men after Trenton H. James CornellDuranleau was found fatally stabbed inside an apartment in the Grand Plaza Apartments in the 500 block of North State Street.
Supervisory Deputy U. S. Marshal Frank Conroy said Saturday that fast- paced surrender negotiations through an attorney began late Friday afternoon and that by evening, Lathem arrived by car at the courthouse.
There were no guns drawn, but Lathem was ordered to carefully step out of the car and taken into custody in a public courtyard area between the complex’s two buildings, Conroy said.
Lathem stated that he would not answer any questions on advice of a lawyer, and no questions were asked, Conroy said.
“He wasn’t in good spirits, but physically, he didn’t appear to have anything wrong,” Conroy said.
Conroy did not provide details of the negotiations, and he withheld the identity of the lawyer pending a scheduled court appearance Monday morning in Alameda County Superior Court.
Investigators had also spoken with friends of Lathem during the week, Conroy said.
“They knew the seriousness of the charges, the seriousness of the case and how important it was that he be brought into custody, not have to live a life on the run,” Conroy said.
Lathem and Warren probably took two or three days to travel to California, with the manhunt not far behind.
“He [ Lathem] probably realized it’s never going to end until he’s in custody, so let me do it on my on terms.” Conroy said.
Lathem was being held without bail in Alameda County and faced a court appearance in the city of Pleasanton. Warren was being held at the county jail in San Francisco. Chicago Police said Warren was 56; he was booked into jail as age 49.