East Chicago Man With Restraining Order Charged With Murder After Woman Found Dead Inside Hammond Home
Hammond- An East Chicago man has been charged with murder and multiple related felonies after police discovered the body of a woman inside her home during a welfare check earlier this month.
According to court documents, officers were asked to check on the woman after she failed to appear at her son’s sporting event in Illinois on October 5, 2025. Family members told police she had not answered calls and that her phone location remained at her home.
When officers entered the residence on the 1300 block of Summer St., they noticed a strong odor of bleach, white powder scattered on a bed frame, and the woman’s cellphone wedged between couch cushions. During a search of the home, officers found the woman’s body hidden in a bedroom closet under pillows and luggage.
The Lake County Coroner identified the victim as Kimberly Murphy, 37, of Hammond.
Investigators documented blood in several rooms, including the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, and recovered several items believed to have been used in the attack.
Court records show Miguel Angel Terry, 31, was under an active protective order prohibiting contact with Murphy. That order was issued in April 2025 after multiple reports alleging that Terry had broken into Murphys’s home and stalked her despite the court’s restrictions.
Later that same day, police located the victim’s missing vehicle. Officers attempted to stop it, but the driver fled. After a short pursuit, the vehicle was disabled with a PIT maneuver, and the suspect ran before being taken into custody. He was identified as Miguel Terry, and officers found his phone and identification inside the vehicle.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and license-plate-reader data showing the victim’s white Chevrolet Impala leaving her home early that morning and returning several hours later. A man matching Terry’s appearance was seen walking between the woman’s home and his East Chicago residence.
During a recorded interview, Terry admitted taking the vehicle but denied being inside the home or seeing the woman. When told she had been found deceased, he repeatedly responded, “no she isn’t,” and claimed not to remember events from that morning. Detectives described his statements as evasive and inconsistent before he requested an attorney.
A search warrant executed at Terry’s East Chicago residence uncovered jeans with suspected blood and a white powder substance similar to what was found at the victim’s home.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide by strangulation, citing neck compression, muscle and tissue damage, and blunt-force trauma to the head and scalp.
Charges filed October 7,2025:
• Murder
• Aggravated Battery (Posing a Substantial Risk of Death) — Level 3 Felony
• Stalking While Violating a Protective Order — Level 5 Felony
• Domestic Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury — Level 5 Felony
• Domestic Battery in Violation of a Protective Order — Level 6 Felony
• Strangulation — Level 6 Felony
• Stalking — Level 6 Felony
• Resisting Law Enforcement (Using a Vehicle) — Level 6 Felony
• Auto Theft (Theft of Entire Motor Vehicle) — Level 6 Felony
• Invasion of Privacy (Protective Order Violation) — Class A Misdemeanor
• Resisting Law Enforcement (On Foot) — Class A Misdemeanor
• Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a License — Class C Misdemeanor
Terry remains lodged in the Lake County Jail
