The teenager accused of stabbing a pregnant mother more than 70 times, leading to her death, is back behind bars after he attempted to take his own life, authorities have said.
Eliza ‘Nicky’ Morales, 30, was home alone in Downers Grove and cooking dinner when her alleged attacker knocked on the door, responding to an online advertisement for a pickup truck posted by her husband, Gabriel Morales.
Nedas Revuckas, 19, of Westmont, was upset about the condition of the truck and “decided to take out his frustration on Eliza,” according to court documents reported by local news affiliate ABC7 Chicago.
The teen showed no emotion as a judge ordered him to stay behind bars at a hearing last Thursday morning, stating that he posed “a real threat” to the community. Hours later, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office said Revuckas was in a critical condition from apparently self-inflicted wounds.
Revuckas was released from the hospital on Sunday and returned to the DuPage County Correctional Facility; he is due back in court on February 18.
A GoFundMe page set up to support Morales’ family said her loss had left “pain that words cannot fully express.”
“Everything she did was rooted in love,” wrote Moses Morales, the page’s founder. “She was motivated by family, driven by loyalty, and guided by a heart that was truly selfless. Her loss is a pain that sits deep within all of us, but her presence remains in every memory, every lesson, every moment she touched.”
The fundraiser, which as of Monday morning had raised more than $150,000, will go towards “essential expenses such as temporary housing, clothing, and other necessities.”
Her husband, Gabriel, was working when he got the call that his wife and unborn baby had been slaughtered; he told ABC7 Chicago he would “spend the rest of my life missing her,” and would “try to live through her” for the sake of his 2-year-old daughter.
An online obituary for Morales described how she had grown up in the Chicagoland area and loved the outdoors, “especially taking hikes with her two dogs.” She worked for Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and had a “lifelong commitment to helping those in need,” including advocating for the rights of women and those affected by war, famine, and domestic violence.
“Nicky was a vibrant, passionate, and courageous person who will be missed by all those she knew and who knew her.”
According to investigators, Morales tried to resist her alleged murderer at the doorstep, according to investigators, but he overpowered her in a frenzied slaughter that also claimed the life of her unborn child, before going on to stab the family’s dog and set their house on fire.
Revuckas later told detectives that Morales “mentioned she was pregnant” during the altercation on Monday, January 26, according to court documents.
“It was a horrific, violent crime committed,” her mother-in-law, Angelica Silva, told ABC7 Chicago at a candlelight vigil on Wednesday. “She fought for her life.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did not immediately respond to queries about whether it would review safety procedures for Facebook Marketplace following the brutal killing.
Silva, who described the attack as “pure evil,” said the family was struggling to comprehend the sudden loss of a much-loved mom who was due to welcome her second daughter in March.
“You get angry and then you get sad and then you get angry again and it’s such a rollercoaster.”
The suspect faces a raft of charges, including first-degree murder, armed robbery, arson, and animal cruelty.
