Guilty verdict in execution-style murder trial of 71-year-old man in Chinatown

CHICAGO (WGN) — Nearly four years after a deadly shooting in Chinatown, the family of 71-year-old Woom Sing Tse still doesn’t know why he was killed, but they now know the fate of the man accused of his execution-style murder.

A Cook County jury found Alphonso Joyner guilty of first-degree murder following deliberations that lasted just under 90 minutes. Jurors found Joyner responsible for the brazen, broad daylight shooting that occurred on Dec. 7, 2021.

Prosecutors say Joyner shot and killed Woom Sing Tse as he took his daily walk in Chinatown.

“We thank the State’s Attorney and their team for their hard work over the last four years,” said Susan Lam, the daughter of Woom Sing Tse.

“This doesn’t bring my dad back, but it gives us a little peace that we are going to be OK,” added Carina Set, also the daughter of Woom Sing Tse.

The trial began on Wednesday with prosecutors focusing on physical evidence. They say home security video showed Joyner approaching the 71-year-old and shooting him multiple times. They also presented a nine-millimeter handgun investigators found in Joyner’s car.

Police pulled over Joyner and his silver blue Honda hatchback on the Kennedy Expressway within hours after the Chinatown shooting on the 200 block of W. 23rd. The coat and sweatpants recovered by police matched the clothing seen in neighborhood surveillance videos that captured the deadly attack, according to prosecutors.

Investigators say Joyner fired nearly two dozen shots at the victim, then walked up to the 71-year-old grandfather and shot him at close range, execution style. The shooting did not appear to be motivated by robbery, as first responders recovered the victim’s wallet untouched in his back pocket.  

Defense lawyers say all of the evidence was circumstantial, and there were no witnesses to the actual shooting. But the jury disagreed, returning a guilty verdict for Joyner in the killing of Tse, putting an end to years of trial delays for the family.

Joyner, who oftentimes appeared emotionless amid the trial, fought back tears in court. His sentencing will take place in November.