On Dec. 21, at 8:39 p.m., Evanston Police Officers responded to 2120 Seward Evanston, Illinois, referencing a report of a “man down” and bleeding, said Commander Tom Guenther, public information officer of the Evanston Police Department. Once on scene, officers located the victim, identified as 26 year old Evanston resident, David L. Branch. Further investigation revealed that Mr. Branch had sustained four stab wounds to his right upper leg, said the Commander. These stab wounds resulted in Mr. Branch losing a substantial amount of blood, rendering him unconscious. Evanston Fire Paramedics responded, treated and transported Mr. Branch to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Continuing this investigation, Evanston Police Detectives working with the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF), began to collect all pertinent physical evidence and conduct witness interviews, said the Commander. As a result, detectives learned that the victim, Mr. Branch, had gone to 2120 Seward to visit a friend, who is now identified as a person of interest in this case, said the Commander. As the evening progressed, both the victim and the suspect, socialized and began to drink alcohol. Detectives learned that later in the evening a verbal dispute arose between the victim and the suspect, said the Commander. This verbal dispute at some point then escalated into a physical confrontation, which resulted in the victim, Mr. Branch, being stabbed fours times in his upper right leg, said the Commander. Preliminary indications are that the stab wounds impacted the victim’s femoral artery, leading to a substantial blood loss, resulting in the victim’s death, said the Commander.
At present, Evanston Police Detectives, NORTAF Investigators and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office are actively working this investigation. As of this time, no charges have been filed in this case.