A Glenview man fatally stabbed his father following a verbal argument after the victim caught his son smoking marijuana Monday morning, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office alleged during a bond hearing at the Skokie courthouse Tuesday.
Bond was set at $1 million for 20-year-old Isaac Thurston, who was charged with first-degree murder Aug. 14 following the death of his father, 50-year-old Perron Thurston, at their shared Glenview home in the 1100 block of Arbor Lane.
Cook County State’s Attorney Jim Lynch told the court the victim and defendant were arguing about 6:30 a.m. after Perron Thurston became upset his son had been smoking marijuana that morning, according to a bond proffer provided by the state’s attorney’s office. Perron Thurston told his son he should not go to work at his job at a coffee shop, and then called the coffee shop to tell them his son could not work that day.
The argument continued into the kitchen of the residence, where the defendant picked up a knife from a block on the counter and stabbed the victim once in the left torso, according to the proffer.
After being stabbed, Perron Thurston called out to his wife that “Isaac just stabbed me,” the document said.
Perron Thurston’s wife was in bed during the incident and entered the kitchen to find her husband injured and called emergency services. Another son then came into the kitchen and began chest compressions on his father.
Police reported when they arrived, they discovered Isaac Thurston with blood on his clothes and hands. He allegedly told responding police “I don’t know why I did it” and “I am a murderer,” according to the court document.
Perron Thurston was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was pronounced dead Monday, Glenview Police said.
Isaac Thurston did not report any physical contact during the argument with the victim prior to the stabbing, the prosecution said, and denied a history of physical violence between the two. He has no prior arrest record, according to the court.
Perron Thurston had a background in education. Until 2021, he was employed as a gym and history teacher at Altus Academy, a private elementary school in Chicago, according to Altus Principal Alfredo Villegas.
“We are saddened to hear of Perron’s death. He was well liked by students and staff during his years at Altus. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Villegas said in an email.
Isaac Thurston is a 2021 graduate of New Trier High School in Winnetka, confirmed a spokesperson for the district.
An attorney for Isaac Thurston could not immediately be reached for comment. His next scheduled court appearance is Aug. 29.
