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Judge Orders Two Adults Held in South Holland Teen’s Killing After Three Charged

Prosecutors detailed a mistaken-identity attack traced through phone evidence plus a recovered gun.

Overview

  • Authorities charged Javan Moore, 21, with first-degree murder and charged Demon Smith, 20, and a 16-year-old with felony murder in the Aug. 2 shooting of 16-year-old Davell Holden.
  • Officials say Holden, a Thornwood High student, was shot near the 16000 block of Drexel Avenue after assailants mistook him for an intended target who had lived on the same street.
  • Cook County Judge James Costello ordered Moore and Smith held in pre-trial detention, with preliminary hearings scheduled for Tuesday.
  • At a court hearing, prosecutors alleged the three are in the same gang and were seeking revenge, citing text messages linking them to ammunition and a stolen car, as well as a recovered firearm that matched shell casings from the scene.
  • South Holland police described a months-long, multi-agency investigation involving thousands of work hours; the case remains open and officials continue to seek tips, noting a previously offered $10,000 reward.