Photo of double homicide suspect 75-year-old William Wallace Jr. Screenshot from ChicagoPolice.org.
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75-year-old William Wallace Jr. is in custody for the double murder of two elderly women in Chicago. The judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for him. The reason for his crime is horrifying.
What Happened
On March 7, William Wallace and Phyllis Goolsby went out for drinks. The couple had been together for over 25 years, and this wasn’t an unusual date. However, during their date night, the couple got into a dispute. Unfortunately, it followed them home.
When they got home, the argument escalated. Phyllis’s sister Tuanna Thomas, 71, was in the home as well. At 10:48 pm, Wallace made a 911 call. It was too calm for the chaos that prompted it.
During the phone call, Wallace explained without emotion how he had just shot two people. Reports say he calmly said that the women “got on his motherfucking nerves” and that at his age, he had “no patience” left for it. The police arrived at home at 10400 S. Peoria at 11:06 pm to respond to the call.
They found Wallace waiting for them at the front of the home. Officers collected the murder weapon at the scene and continued searching the home after securing Wallace. The scene was a mess.
Police located Phyllis Goolsby on the living room sofa, shot twice in the chest. Tuanna Thomas was found in a nearby bedroom, and she had been shot three times in the chest. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Aftermath
On Tuesday, April 7, Wallace appeared in Cook County court for a detention hearing. The judge denied his release and ordered him to be held in custody at Cook County Jail. It was for good reason.
The judge decided that, even at his age with a lack of a significant violent criminal history, Wallace posed a “real and present threat” to the community. The judge called the murders “execution-style” and mentioned Wallace’s own admission that he lacked any restraint. But Wallace’s mental health is being questioned.
The court ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine if age-related mental health decline or other mental health issues played a role in the sudden snap.
The Takeaway
William Wallace Jr., 75, is being held without bond in Cook County jail on two counts of First-Degree Murder for the deaths of elderly sisters Phyllis Goolsby and Tuanna Thomas. Wallace was a valid Concealed Carry License (CCL) holder at the time of the shooting. However, that’s obviously changed since. He’s been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation to see if any age-related mental illness may have affected his judgment. His next court date is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Jermaine Reed, MFA is an educator and the Editor-in-Chief of TheReedersBlock. Take time to Subscribe. It helps promote independent journalism and the site. Follow him on TikTok, where he has over 9 million views and nearly 1 million likes. Help him get there.
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