Kevan Works is accused of killing his 88-year-old mother, Daniest Graves, inside their Roseland home.

CHICAGO, Ill. — A 66-year-old Chicago man is being held on murder charges after police said his 88-year-old mother vanished from her normal routine and was later found dead in a hidden basement room at their Roseland home.

Kevan Works is charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a death in the killing of Daniest Graves, a mother, churchgoer and part-time worker whose daily habits helped alert relatives that something was wrong. Police found Graves dead April 7 inside the home in the 10700 block of South Lafayette Avenue after relatives had reported her missing and investigators returned with a search warrant.

Graves was last known to be alive on March 26, when she went shopping with her sister and later returned to the South Lafayette Avenue home about 2:30 p.m., prosecutors said in court. The next morning, relatives noticed she did not send her usual prayer text at about 4 a.m. Family members said the missing message stood out because Graves sent it every day. She also failed to show up for work and missed church plans and other outings. Her sister went to the home March 29, but Works answered the door and would not let her inside, prosecutors said. He appeared startled, then brought out an air freshener before she left and contacted police.

When officers first checked the home, Works told them he had not seen his mother since March 27 and said she had gone to work, prosecutors said. He also told officers he could not get into her bedroom because he did not have a key. Officers forced the bedroom door open and found Graves’ cellphone inside, but they did not find her. Investigators later determined the phone had last been used at the home on March 29. Works also claimed Graves may have wandered off because of dementia, but prosecutors said relatives knew her as healthy, active, driving and working. Police said surveillance video later showed Graves never leaving the home after she returned from shopping March 26.

The search shifted after police found Graves’ car several miles away on the West Side. A witness told investigators that Works and an unidentified woman brought the car to her March 27 and exchanged it for crack cocaine, prosecutors said. The witness said she then drove Works and the woman back to the Roseland home. She also told police that two large black garbage bags had been inside the car and that Works asked her to have her children throw them away. The witness refused, prosecutors said, and the bags were removed from the vehicle. Police have not said exactly what was inside the bags, and investigators have not publicly identified the woman seen with Works.

On April 7, police returned to the home with a search warrant. Cadaver dogs led officers to the basement, where they found Graves in a room blocked by a large bookcase, prosecutors said. Her body was rolled in a large rug, partly wrapped in black garbage bags and secured with duct tape. Investigators said blankets, clothing, mail and other items were also wrapped inside the rug. Officers found a folding knife with suspected blood on it, a hammer, brass knuckles and bleach. They also reported suspected blood and what appeared to be dried bleach on the floor of Graves’ bedroom. Air fresheners, dryer sheets and coffee grounds were found in parts of the home, including the basement.

An autopsy found that Graves suffered 17 blunt force injuries, including a severe head wound, prosecutors said. She also had cuts and defensive wounds to her arms, forearm and thumb, injuries that prosecutors said showed she tried to protect herself. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide. Police said Graves’ purse and wallet were found in a garbage can in the garage. Jewelry boxes were found open and empty in the attic, and jewelry was found elsewhere in the home appearing to have been cleaned. Prosecutors described the evidence as pointing to a violent attack followed by efforts to hide what happened inside the house.

Works had been living with Graves since around Thanksgiving, according to prosecutors and defense statements in court. His assistant public defender said Works had been homeless during the past decade before moving in with his mother. Prosecutors also told the judge he had a criminal history that included a 2007 federal bank robbery conviction and previous convictions involving theft, forgery and property damage. They said Works had also been adjudicated for murder as a juvenile in 1976. Those earlier cases are separate from the current charges, and Works has not been convicted in Graves’ death.

At a detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Cook County Judge Rivanda Doss Beal ordered Works held pending trial. Prosecutors argued the circumstances showed violence directed at Graves and efforts to conceal her body. Family members reacted emotionally in court as the hearing ended. Clyde McLemore, Works’ half-brother, said Graves had made sacrifices for Works decades earlier when he faced a murder case as a youth. “She sold the house and everything and got him served as a juvenile,” McLemore said after court. Another relative described the killing accusation as hard to accept because Graves spoke with family often and remained active in church and community life.

Graves’ relatives described her as a steady presence who loved faith, family and helping people. Michael Works, another son, said he knew his brother had a temper and a record, but he did not think his mother feared him. “It was the last thing on my mind that he would lift a finger against our mother,” he said. Relatives said Graves had earned a college degree in her 80s and had started a part-time job serving the community. Her daily prayer texts, church plans and regular work schedule became the first signs that her silence was not normal.

Works was arrested April 7 in the same area where Graves was found. He is being held while the case moves through Cook County court, with a status hearing scheduled for April 29. Police have not publicly named any additional suspects.

Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.