Mystery shrouds fatal plane crash amid child sex abuse suit
Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: Convicted sex offender Richard McClung, accused in a lawsuit of child sexual abuse while leader of a church congregation, died when the plane he was piloting mysteriously crashed between McHenry County and Rockford.
🗞️ Plus: Bodycam video shows a cop's delay after fatally shooting his partner, how war in Iran is affecting college campuses and more news you need to know.
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs bested the Mets, 2-1; the White Sox beat the A’s, 7-4.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ☀️
Sunny with a high near 55.
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
Mystery shrouds ex-Mormon figure’s fatal plane crash amid child sexual abuse suit
By Robert Herguth
Fatal crash: Richard McClung died in a plane crash Feb. 14 when the small aircraft he was piloting plummeted into a residential neighborhood between McHenry County and Rockford, narrowly missing homes, severing a gas line and horrifying locals. A darker reality has since emerged.
Abuse claims: McClung was a former Mormon church figure in Illinois and a registered sex offender who’s been repeatedly accused of sexually abusing children. At the time of his death, he was a defendant in a federal lawsuit in Chicago that accused him of molesting a young congregant while he was a leader of a Mormon church in Rockford in the early 2000s.
'Mechanical failure': The death notice said the crash was "a result of having a mechanical failure." A nonprofit general aviation safety organization says McClung likely plunged his airplane into the ground because of mounting pressure from recent court filings. Lawyers involved in the suit wouldn’t comment.
PUBLIC SAFETY 🚨
Bodycam video shows cop took cover for 90 seconds after fatally shooting partner
By Peter Nickeas, Casey Toner and Sophie Sherry
Fatal shooting: After Officer Carlos Baker fatally shot his partner, Krystal Rivera, the Chicago cop told investigators he would "die for her." But newly released body camera footage shows Baker ran for cover after he fired the deadly gunshot and took more than 90 seconds before checking on Rivera as she was gasping for breath.
Footage released: The footage, released Friday by the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability, follows Baker and Rivera as they chase an armed man into a Chatham apartment on June 5, 2025. After Baker kicks down the door, they’re met by a second man who aims a rifle at them. That’s when Baker turns and appears to stumble before he shoots Rivera and runs up a stairwell. After calling for backup and reporting that he and Rivera were fired upon, Baker tends to Rivera and carries her downstairs, where other officers are waiting.
Key context: During an interview with COPA, Baker told investigators he was "best friends" with Rivera and that he "would never" intentionally shoot her. But Rivera’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit last year, alleging Baker had been struggling to accept her daughter’s decision to end their romantic relationship when he fatally shot her during the foot chase.
EDUCATION 🎓
How war in Iran is affecting college campuses
By Mary Norkol
War's impact: On college campuses across Illinois, students and faculty are grappling with the effects of the war in Iran via attacks by the U.S. and Israel, which have killed more than 2,500 people and injured another 26,000 as of last Tuesday, according to the news outlet Al Jazeera. Thousands more in Lebanon and across the region have also been killed or injured.
At issue: For weeks, Iranians studying or working at universities in the U.S. have struggled to focus on school and their jobs, distracted by the fear their loved ones abroad aren’t safe. Some students are not sure if they’ll be able to return home after graduation, while others trying to remain here have not been able to get their visas renewed.
Key point: The war also has tangible effects on teaching and learning, with some colleges, including the University of Chicago, canceling or postponing study abroad and research programs in the region due to the violence. And the conflict has raised larger questions about free speech on college campuses and the state of anti-war activism, as some students hesitate to protest during the Trump presidency.
More:
- During an appearance Sunday in Chicago, former Vice President Kamala Harris said President Donald Trump’s war on Iran "has made America weaker."
- The Rev. Michael Pfleger called on Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to "look inside their souls" as he spoke out on the comments they’ve made against Pope Leo XIV.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- Shooting victims identified: Three people fatally shot while standing on a sidewalk Friday in West Garfield Park have been named as Kenneth M. Bell Jr., Lavell Lee and Rickia Williams.
- Police lawsuit dropped: The family of Adam Toledo has dropped their lawsuit against the Chicago police officer who fatally shot the 13-year-old boy, just as the trial got underway. They plan to refile within the next year.
- School cellphone ban: The Illinois House has resurrected a push to ban cellphones and other wireless devices in classrooms during school hours, advancing legislation to the Senate late Thursday.
- Hearing from jurors: Before they freed former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and longtime ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, federal appeals court judges had questions about the jury that found the pair guilty. So we reached out to some jurors.
- Remembering Barbara Flynn Currie: She represented her Hyde Park district in Springfield for 40 years — 20 as majority leader and the first woman to hold that role in the Illinois General Assembly — and was a staunch promoter of active, engaged, effective government. She died Thursday at age 85.
- Industrial campus coming: Real estate firm Brookfield Properties on Friday broke ground on Western Works, a four-building industrial campus spanning more than 560,000 square feet in Back of the Yards.
- Philz Coffee reverses course: After facing backlash for removing all Pride flags from its locations, the coffee chain said the flags will go back up, calling the initial directive "a mistake."
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU 🗣️
Should Illinois ban cellphones in classrooms during school hours? Tell us why or why not. 📵
Reply to this newsletter with your answer (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
IMMIGRATION ✶
ICE says 81% arrested in Operation Midway Blitz had no convictions
By Tina Sfondeles
No convictions: About 81% of those arrested in Chicago’s Operation Midway Blitz had no criminal convictions, despite federal immigration officials repeatedly claiming the aggressive action was intended to target "the worst of the worst." That’s what a letter given to Sen. Dick Durbin and the Illinois congressional delegation on April 13 says.
Key context: The letter's answers were sent nearly seven months after Durbin's request for details at the height of the operation in September. It comes as Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on Thursday tendered his resignation, effective May 31. It marks the first concrete number of arrests that federal officials had previously declined to provide.
False claims: Lyons also claimed in the letter that no U.S. citizens were arrested by federal immigration officers during the blitz — despite documented reports of citizens being arrested.
More:
- After Mather student Ricardo Navarrete and his mom were detained by ICE, his school and community are left reeling.
ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
- Zoning chair: Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), City Council's new Zoning Committee chair pick, talks about the powerful yet often misunderstood position.
- What's That Building?: As the old Chicago Daily News Building awaits landmark designation and receives a multimillion-dollar refresh, the future of a beloved mural that was once inside it is uncertain. Dennis Rodkin of Crain's Chicago Business and Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago discuss.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
- Chicago's weed culture six years post-legalization: April 20 has been synonymous with marijuana. While cannabis has been legal in Illinois since 2020, the state’s weed industry hasn't been smooth sailing. Sales have dipped and costs have risen. Guest Willie "J.R." Fleming of Hemp for Hoods and callers weigh in.
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏈⚾🏀
- Stadium saga: Bears bosses and Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. met Friday in what the team characterized as the latest step in considering a move across the border to Indiana.
- Bears analysis: Bears GM Ryan Poles wants sustainable success, which starts with saving money by nailing draft picks, writes Jason Lieser.
- Making it work: Injuries to the Cubs' bullpen are forcing manager Craig Counsell to be flexible.
- WNBA season preview: Who’s contending? Who’s pretending? The season is still three weeks away, but it’s never too early to start guessing. Sky beat reporter Alissa Hirsh breaks down the league into four tiers.
- NBA Draft talk: Here are all the free agents and two-way players Bulls beat reporter Joe Cowley argues are worth keeping or passing on.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today's clue: 3D: Name shared by two streets that run through the Loop
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
Mahari embraces Hyde Park roots amid banner first year
By Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu
Just days before Afro-diaspora fusion restaurant Mahari celebrated its anniversary in January, it was named Best Neighborhood Restaurant at the 2026 Banchet Awards, beating out more established operators.
Mahari executive chef and owner Rahim Muhammad accepted the prize, shouting out Hyde Park, his birthplace, and adding, "We’re not from a large family or money … we’re just from the Chicago streets and we bring elegance from where we’re from."
Magic Johnson, Muhammad’s business partner and the eatery's director of community and culture, echoes the sentiment.
"I’ve been in Hyde Park since 2011 and the bond that I have with this community ... is something special," Johnson said.
Beyond its local roots, Mahari's team also wants to emphasize its diasporic connections — boasting a menu that's an ambitious medley of flavors, dishes and ingredients that crosses and crisscrosses borders, oceans and cultures.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
On Friday, we asked you: What’s the first vinyl album you ever bought, and from where?
Here’s some of what you said…
"'I Am Woman' by Helen Reddy, from Little’s Music in Oak Park. For a 10-year-old, $3.98 was a big chunk of birthday money." — Marty Regan
"My first album was 'Tapestry' by Carole King, purchased from the local record store near North and Central Avenues in Chicago. I was so proud to buy it with my own money." — Christine Bock
"The first album I recall purchasing was Jimmy Smith's 'The Cat,' in the mid-60s. Jazz organ and his visits to the Plugged Nickel in Old Town drove my desire to dive deeper into jazz." — Richard Bell
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Morning Edition!
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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