Prosecutors said Daniest Graves was found wrapped in a rug after relatives raised alarms over her silence.
CHICAGO, Ill. — A Cook County judge ordered Kevan Works held in jail after prosecutors said he killed his 88-year-old mother, hid her body behind a basement bookcase and traded her car for drugs.
The detention order keeps the 66-year-old Roseland man in custody as he faces charges of first-degree murder and concealment of a death in the killing of Daniest Graves. The case moved into court after police found Graves dead April 7 inside the home she shared with Works in the 10700 block of South Lafayette Avenue. Prosecutors said the body was hidden for days while relatives searched for her.
Cook County Judge Rivanda Doss Beal heard a detailed account of the investigation before ordering Works detained pending trial. Prosecutors said Graves had suffered 17 blunt force injuries, a large head wound and defensive injuries to her arms and hands. They said the evidence showed a violent attack inside the home and efforts to cover it up. The judge said the allegations showed “violence inflicted against the victim to get her things.” Relatives in the courtroom reacted as the hearing ended, including Clyde McLemore, Works’ half-brother, who called out to him from the gallery.
The hearing placed the family’s private alarm into the public court record. Graves was last seen March 26 after shopping with her sister and returning to her home about 2:30 p.m., prosecutors said. Her usual 4 a.m. prayer text did not arrive the next morning. She also missed work, church plans and other expected outings. Those missed habits led family members to believe something was wrong. When Graves’ sister went to the South Lafayette Avenue home March 29, Works came to the door, appeared startled and blocked her from entering, prosecutors said. He later brought an air freshener outside before she left and contacted police.
Officers who responded for a well-being check found Works at the home. He told them he had not seen Graves since March 27 and said she had gone to work, prosecutors said. He also claimed her bedroom door was locked and that he did not have a key. Officers forced the door open and found Graves’ cellphone in the room, but not Graves. The phone had last been used at the home on March 29, investigators later found. Prosecutors said Works also suggested his mother had dementia and may have wandered away, a claim relatives disputed because Graves was still driving, working and keeping a full schedule.
The courtroom account also focused on Graves’ car. Investigators found it on the West Side after she was reported missing. A witness told police that Works and an unidentified woman brought the vehicle to her on March 27 and exchanged it for crack cocaine, prosecutors said. The witness said she drove Works and the woman back to the Roseland home and saw two large black garbage bags in the car. Prosecutors said Works asked the witness to have her children throw away the bags, but she refused. Police have not said in public filings what the bags contained or whether the unidentified woman faces any charges.
Police obtained a search warrant and returned to the home on April 7. Cadaver dogs alerted officers to a basement room whose entrance was blocked by a large bookcase, prosecutors said. Inside, officers found Graves rolled in a rug, partly wrapped in black garbage bags and sealed with duct tape. Clothing, blankets, mail and debris were wrapped with her body, according to the allegations read in court. Investigators also found bleach, air fresheners, dryer sheets and coffee grounds in the house. Prosecutors said suspected blood and what appeared to be dried bleach were found on the floor of Graves’ bedroom.
Other items found in the home became part of the state’s argument for detention. Prosecutors said officers recovered a folding knife with suspected blood on it near where Works had been sitting, along with a hammer and brass knuckles. Graves’ purse and wallet were found in a garbage can in the garage. In the attic, investigators found jewelry boxes opened and emptied. Jewelry was found elsewhere in the home appearing to have been cleaned. Nearby surveillance video showed Works entering and leaving the home several times after March 26, prosecutors said, but did not show Graves leaving after she came home from shopping.
Works’ assistant public defender argued the evidence was circumstantial and told the court that Works had struggled with homelessness before moving in with his mother. The defense said he had been living with Graves for several months. Prosecutors countered by pointing to the body’s location, the surveillance video, the condition of the house and the car exchange described by the witness. They also listed past convictions, including a 2007 federal bank robbery case and earlier theft, forgery and property damage cases. Prosecutors said he was adjudicated in a murder case as a juvenile in 1976.
Family members said the case reopened a long and painful history. McLemore told reporters after the hearing that Graves had helped Works when he faced a murder case as a youth about 50 years earlier. “She sold the house and everything and got him served as a juvenile,” he said. Relatives also said Graves had remained close to family, faith and community. Michael Works, another son, said he knew Kevan Works had a temper but did not expect him to hurt their mother. “The very last thing,” he said, was that Works would raise a hand against her.
The record presented in court left several questions unanswered. Authorities have not publicly said whether they believe the fatal attack happened on March 26 or March 27. They have not identified the woman seen with Works on surveillance video, and they have not announced charges against anyone else. Prosecutors have pointed to possible financial gain, citing the car, purse, wallet and jewelry, but the case remains in its early stages. Works is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Works is scheduled to return to court April 29 for a status hearing. He remains detained while prosecutors, defense attorneys and investigators continue the case in Cook County court.
Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.