Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is examining the murder of Courtney Copeland, who was shot dead on Chicago’s Far Northwest side in 2016.
The murder of 22-year-old Courtney remains unsolved, and the case has proved controversial as allegations have been leveled at the Chicago Police Department for failing to investigate the case properly.
The department has even been accused of denying adequate medical care to Courtney, which may have contributed to his death.
On March 4, 2016, Courtney was driving his new BMW a few blocks from his girlfriend’s apartment when he was shot in the back. He flagged down a passing police cruiser for help.
Courtney was taken to a police station, where he allegedly waited 13 minutes before an ambulance came to take him to a hospital.
A nurse later claimed that Courtney was in handcuffs when he arrived at the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. He was pronounced dead an hour later.
Shapearl Wells fights to find the killer of her son, Courtney Copeland
The cops reportedly didn’t find any blood in Courtney’s car, and the case has since ground to a halt. Courtney’s mother, Shapearl Wells, has spent the last eight years fighting for justice for her son and is trying to hold the CPD accountable for the botched investigation.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelWells told the press last year, “It’s very painful. Seven years, and we still don’t have the answers. We still don’t know what happened to my son. Seven years, I’m still fighting, trying to find the truth.”
The mother described her son as a caring, lively individual. She said, “He had this bubbly personality. He was full of life. He made everyone feel special, as if they were his best friend. That’s how I want him to be remembered.
Wells teamed up with journalist Jamie Kalven, and the pair have worked hard to keep Courtney’s case in the media. They have exerted pressure on the Chicago cops to solve the murder and to hold officers accountable for allegedly failing in their responsibility to take care of the victim when he asked for help.
Report released about Chicago cops’ behavior in Courtney Copeland murder case
The Office of Inspector General organized a probe into the case and released a summary report of that probe in January 2022. The investigation recommended that two Chicago police officers face disciplinary measures for the way they handled Courtney’s death.
Wells called the summary an “insult” and demanded that the city make the full report available to the public. So far, the administration led by Mayor Lori Lightfoot has refused Wells’s request.
In the meantime, Courtney’s killer seems no closer to a jail cell than they did eight years ago.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.