While a "very promising" lead has developed in the ongoing investigation into last year's killing of Chicago Police Officer Michael Bailey, no charges have yet been filed -- reportedly becauseCook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez is currently "on vacation" the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
According to the Sun-Times, a 24-year-old inmate of a downstate prison was questioned Thursday and reportedly admitted to police and prosecutors that he had intended to rob Bailey before they exchanged gunfire and he shot and killed the off-duty, uniformed officer outside of his South Side home on July 18 of last year.
Sources quoted in their report said that detectives have statements from eight other people who support their case against the suspect and believe they have a "chargeable case" -- but they'll have to wait until Alvarez returns to the city before those charges can be filed.
The States Attorney's Office contests the Sun-Times' report and issued a statement Friday indicating that Alvarez would be "gone for a matter of days, not weeks" and that "there remains additional investigation that must still be completed ... Our goal is justice, not haste," an Alvarez spokesperson told ABC.
"The Chicago Police Department continues to work with the Cook County State's attorney's office, and progress has been made in the investigation," Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said in a statement. "Detectives continue to conduct interviews; however charges are not anticipated in the immediate future."
The alleged foot-dragging in the Bailey case comes after the Cook County State's Attorney's office finally made their move in another high-profile murder case.
Last week, Alvarez announced a charge of first-degree murder against "Hollywood Ripper" Michael Gargiulo in the 1993 stabbing death of Glenview's Tricia Pacaccio. Though their office reportedly had DNA evidence linking Gargiulo to the murder in 2003, it wasn't until a segment on 48 Hours Mystery and a lengthy feature in Chicago magazine renewed interest in the case and attracted the attention of several new witnesses that they pressed charges.
Alvarez is reportedly attending the Conference of Western Attorneys General in Hawaii, where she will discuss the "Role of Attorneys General in Combating Human Trafficking."