A Yorkville man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of an Aurora woman who went missing 19 years ago and whose remains were discovered in Kane County in late 2020.
Prince L. Cunningham, 49, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Tyesha Bell, who was 22 years old at the time she was killed, Kane County court records show.
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In the late evening of May 10, 2003, Bell stepped outside of her West Side apartment in Aurora after receiving a mysterious phone call, leaving her two young daughters inside, and was never seen again.
Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said his office was called to a wooded area of Kane County in late 2020, where skeletal remains, clothing and some personal items were found in a shallow grave.
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Russell worked with a dentist and bone specialist to create a profile of the person from the remains and Aurora police matched the DNA against a sample from Bell that was kept after she went missing.
Bell went missing from an apartment she shared with her sister in the 800 block of North Randall Road in Aurora.
Police said from the outset they sensed foul play, believing she expected to return to her apartment because she left her money and purse at home, Beacon-News archives show. She also left the television on and candles burning in her bedroom when she left.
Cunningham was indicted Tuesday. His bail was set Wednesday at $5 million. He is due back in court on June 24.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
