Burn Victim's Family Files Suit

Robert J. Bingle, Managing Partner of Corboy & Demetrio, today filed a lawsuit in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County on behalf of the Estate of Carolyn Cochran. Carolyn Cochran was a 74 year old woman who died on February 12, 2001, in Cook County Hospital from severe burns she suffered on February 5, 2001.

Clarence Pierce, 38, a boarder at the home of Carolyn Cochran has been accused of pouring boiling water over the face of Carolyn Cochran when she was asleep at approximately 12:15 a.m. on February 5, 2001. According to the information available, Clarence Pierce had been placed in the home of Carolyn Cochran by an agency identified as the Human Resources Development Institute, Inc., 222 South Jefferson, Chicago, Illinois. Clarence Pierce was placed in Carolyn Cochran's home just four days before the violent attack. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office is investigating the incident of February 5, 2001 and sources indicate that Pierce will be charged with first degree murder.

According to Bingle, "Carolyn Cochran was a well known and loved person in her neighborhood. For almost 30 years, she opened her home to children and adults in need. She had been honored throughout the Chicago area and nationally for her work as a foster parent. Her extended family includes two living adult children, 27 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. In addition to her immediate family, "Miss Carol," as she was affectionately known to everyone in her neighborhood, had always been actively involved in neighborhood and community affairs."

Bingle noted that Pierce may have had a criminal background and a history of mental illness. "The grieving family members of Carolyn Cochran cannot comprehend nor understand how an agency could place an individual in Cochran's home without informing her of the individual's background," said Bingle.

Bingle further stated:

"Our goal in filing this Bill of Discovery is to obtain all records that are available in relation to the placement of Clarence Pierce in Carolyn Cochran's home. These family members have a right to know exactly what information was available to this agency before it placed this man in their loved one's home. This entire family is committed to finding out all the details that lead to this heinous crime and to prevent this nightmare from happening to any other family. If a terrible thing like this can happen to someone as loving and trusting as Carolyn Cochran, this situation may be occurring right now in some other home. This family does not want another family to go through what they and Carolyn have gone through for the past week."

The order sought by the lawyers of Corboy & Demetrio is a temporary restraining order requiring the Human Resources Institute Development, Inc., to preserve all of the records pertaining to the placement of Clarence Pierce in the home of Carolyn Cochran and to allow the lawyers for the family to examine and make copies of these records.

A hearing will be held on Cochran's estate's motion at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow on Thursday, February 15, 2001, before Judge John K. Madden in Room 2108 of the Richard J. Daley Center.