Joliet murder defendant may face a charge of abusing woman’s body

A $5 million bond was set for a Joliet man charged with stabbing a woman to death and he could face an additional charge accusing him of sexually abusing the woman’s body after he killed her, according to a prosecutor.

Timothy Thurmond, 47, was charged on Friday with the first-degree murder of Cynthia Pinnick, 58, whose body was found by officers at 10:40 a.m. Thursday at an apartment in the 200 block of Hunter Avenue in Joliet, according to Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.

Thurmond is charged with stabbing Pinnick to death on Aug. 25, about a week before her body was found.

At a court hearing on Friday, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Peter Wilkes told Judge Donald DeWilkins the officers saw Pinnick’s body was decomposing, partially dressed and lying in a pool of blood.

A preliminary autopsy showed Pinnick suffered 14 stab wounds, Wilkes said. Thurmond admitted to using two knives to kill Pinnick after she turned down his requests for sex, he said.

Wilkes told DeWilkins that Thurmond may face an additional charge of abuse of a corpse because he allegedly engaged in sexual abuse of Pinnick’s body after he stabbed her.

“We do not know if the victim was alive at the time,” Wilkes said.

Thurmond may also face another charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, Wilkes said. On Sept. 30, 2022, Thurmond pleaded guilty to the felony charges of unlawful restraint and domestic battery.

Thurmond made his court appearance on Friday through a video feed that was broadcasted from the Will County jail. Thurmond was sitting in a small room at the jail and he had no visible reaction on his face when DeWilkins told him he was facing a charge of first-degree murder and up to 60 years in prison.

After DeWilkins set Thurmond’s bond at $5 million and asked him if he wanted a public defender, Thurmond walked out of the room and didn’t return. Thurmond’s departure from the court hearing was noted by DeWilkins for the record.

In Wilkes’ account of the police investigation, he said Thurmond told police three versions of events.

In the first version, Thurmond said there was no confrontation between Pinnick and him, Wilkes said.

In the second version, Thurmond said Pinnick and him were together drinking and smoking crack when she “flipped out” and tried to attack him with a knife, Wilkes said. Thurmond then said he stabbed her, Wilkes said.

In the third version, Wilkes said Thurmond admitted Pinnick did not have a knife. Wilkes said Thurmond told police that Pinnick repeatedly turned down his requests for sex. Wilkes said Thurmond then admitted to stabbing Pinnick, who tried to escape from him.