| “ | When I saw her in the park yesterday..What was the point? You guys were going to arrest me for Gleason eventually. Why deny myself? And you know something? It was everything I could have hoped for and more. | „ |
| ~ Russell reveling in his crimes as he confesses. |
Russell Tillman is the main antagonist of the Chicago P.D. episode "Sanctuary".
He is portrayed by Dan Donohue.
Biography[]
Past[]
Tillman has had sociopathic issues for most of his life, which led to history of offenses such as animal cruelty and sexual deviance, that extends to public indecency and a peeping tom incident over the years in Texas. He was once put in a psych ward for three months, but his issues still remain. To help himself better, Tillman came up with a five second rule whenever he developed an unhealthy feeling of a woman, and this allowed him to keep his tendencies under wrap.
Eventually, he moved to Chicago and rented a home from a man named John Gleason and got a job as a park worker. At some point, he got into an argument with Gleason, who threatened to kick him out, but Tillman killed him in a blind rage. Realizing that his actions wouldn't look like self-defense because of Gleason being a wheelchair bound man, he proceeded to dismember the corpse and scatter the body parts around the city though kept the head and hands in the freezer because they contributed to identifying him. He didn't report Gleason's death and continued to cash in the well-fare checks for extra money.
Sanctuary[]
While working in the park, he caught sight of Zoey Sims, a beautiful young woman who was jogging. His urges were triggered and figuring he had nothing to lose from Gleason's death, he decided to act on the feelings, and he followed Sims to a secluded spot in the area and made his move, he violently raped her and strangled her to death. He left the scene and once he got to a good distance, he spotted Miles Vincent and Jaylen Hines (who followed Sims to return a lost item of hers) discover the body and run away in a panic. This gave him the idea to frame them for his own crime.
Once Sims was discovered, he was questioned and feigned sadness at the tragedy. He told Officer Kim Burgess of what he saw: two boys running from the scene, before providing her a fake number to avoid being contacted. Tillman's actions led to the boys being pursued to a church, that came under scrutiny after providing sanctuary for harboring the supposed fugitives and soon caused Sims' ex to set it on fire to draw the boys out. However, camera footage shows Tillman following Sims and walking away, just as the boys were seen running away after discovering the corpse.
Tillman was identified as the prime suspect, with his background checked and his residence found. When the house was searched, Gleason's head was found in the freezer, and they realized he had killed him previously. They decide to wait for his return home and set up a sting. When he returns, he spots two unfamiliar cars and realizing they were cops who were onto him, he quickly bolts in his truck but is pursued by them until he abandoned his vehicle and ran off in the woods. After running a good distance in the forest, he got the drop on Det. Alvin Olinsky and attempted to shoot the latter with his shotgun but was stopped after being tackled by Officer Kim Burgess, who aggressively cuffed him. As he was detained, he complained that Burgess broke his arm, but Olinsky showed him no sympathy and threatened to break the other one for him.
He was brought to the precinct, where he asserted Gleason's murder was self-defense and the only thing, they can charge him with was unlawful disposing of body parts. He is then questioned about Sims' rape and murder, and if he had impulses like this before and Gleason's murder finally triggered him, but he sticks to his story of it being the two boys in the park. However, Sgt. Voight tells Tillman that he has been a cop for years and there was one excuse he really hated: people blaming the black kid and he's heard it multiple times. He aggressively gets in Tillman's space and calmly tells him that excuse will not fly today because Tillman will come clean about his deeds, silently threatening him. Scared, Tillman looks to Det. Halstead and brings up his need for medical treatment, but the equally disgusted detective tells him not to look at him, before Voight subjects him to harsh "medical treatment" by snapping his shoulder back. Tillman screams in agony, as Voight lists his crimes: raping and killing a woman that led to two boys being framed and a church getting burned. Staring down the angry Sergeant, Tillman decided to confess and confirmed that he was correct about his tendencies. He brought up that Gleason's murder brought about a realization that he had nothing to lose and after seeing Sims, he couldn't deny himself further and reveled in the murder by calling it everything he could hope for and more. His words leave Halstead and Voight disgusted, especially at how he allowed two innocent boys to take the fall, leading Voight to punish him further while Tillman screams in agony.
Miles and Jaylen were later released and given an apology by Voight, while they were happy to be exonerated and know the real killer has been caught. Tillman was charged with double murder, rape, and dismemberment; ultimately sending him to prison for life.
Victims: 2[]
John Gleason: (Retired Sanitation Worker): Killed in an unspecified way and then his limbs were dismembered by Russell Tillman.
Zoey Sims: (Saleswoman): Raped and Strangled by Russell Tillman.
External links[]
- Russell Tillman on the Chicago P.D. Wiki
