Mordecai Faskowitz, 63
Mordecai Faskowitz, 63 (Chicago Police Department photo / October 11, 2013)



A man who shared an apartment with a 70-year-old woman killed her at their Magnolia Glen neighborhood home and left her body lying on the floor for at least 24 hours before police discovered the slaying, prosecutors said today.
Marjorie G. Ivy, who a longtime friend says was known to many by her middle name, Gayle, was found dead in her apartment about 12:10 p.m. Wednesday after someone at her building called police to say he had not seen Ivy for a few days, according to police. The Cook County medical examiner’s office on Thursday determined she died from multiple stab wounds and cuts in a homicide.
Cook County Criminal Court Judge James Brown ordered Mordecai Faskowitz, 63, held without bail on the murder charge. Faskowitz shared the lease for Ivy's apartment, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Latoya Croswell said today.
Ivy was discovered dead in her apartment after a man who had keys to the building called police because he had not seen Ivy for several days and had begun to smell a foul odor, prosecutors said. After Faskowitz refused to let them in, officers who arrived at the three-floor apartment building in the 1300 block of West Thorndale Avenue were let into the apartment by the man who had called police and found Ivy lying stabbed on the floor, according to police and prosecutors.
Police found a broke knife blade lying in a pool of blood near Ivy's body and found blood throughout the apartment, prosecutors said.
Officers confronted Faskowitz in the back of the apartment, and he refused to show officers his hands, the report stated. As police were trying to get him to surrender, he told them, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry she had to die," according to prosecutors. He also told them that "I need to repent for my sins … You need to leave, you are not allowed here," according to a police report.
After Faskowitz refused several times to get on the floor or show his hands, one of the officers used a Taser to subdue him, according to the police report.
Ivy was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:39 p.m. Wednesday, according to the medical examiner's office, but prosecutors said Friday that medical personnel indicated Ivy had been dead more than 24 hours. The medical examiner's office determined she died from multiple stab wounds, which prosecutors said included having her throat cut.
After he was hit with the Taser, Faskowitz was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital for treatment and then to the Area North detective headquarters, according to the report.
A friend of the victim who did not want to be identified said that Ivy "was a very nice person," who was passionate about animal rights and had retired a few years ago from working with a downtown law firm.
Tribune reporters Peter Nickeas, Rosemary Regina Sobol and Steve Schmadeke contributed
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