Parolee gets 18 years for hate crime stabbing at South Side halfway house
Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Attempted Murder of Gay Halfway House Resident
A Chicago man, Timothy House, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to kill a fellow halfway house resident because the victim was gay. Cook County prosecutors revealed that Judge Barbara Dawkins handed House the sentence after he pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder. In addition, he received a concurrent 3-year term for a hate crime count.
The incident took place on December 22, 2025, at a halfway house on South Wabash Avenue, just a month after House was released on parole from prison where he served time for criminal sexual assault and aggravated domestic battery convictions. Prosecutors stated that the 55-year-old victim, who lived across the hall from House, had conversations with him, including discussions about religion and his sexual orientation.
Shortly before 10 p.m., House entered the victim’s room and requested to use his phone. When the victim declined, House left briefly, retrieved a knife from the kitchen area, and returned to the room, violently attacking the man with the knife and his fists. The blade of the knife broke during the assault, but House continued to use it against the victim.
When a witness entered the room, House stopped the attack, expressed love to the witness, and then left the scene. Both the victim and the witness called 911, leading to House’s arrest a few blocks away with blood-stained clothes. The victim survived the attack despite sustaining multiple injuries.
During questioning by the police, House referred to the incident as a “terrorist attack” and showed no remorse for his actions. He admitted to targeting the victim because of his sexual orientation and religious beliefs, stating that he was trying to decapitate him. Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke condemned the hate-fueled violence, emphasizing the lasting harm it causes to victims and communities.
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