Aurora Mother Tyesha Bell Finally Gets Justice: Man Convicted of 2003 Murder After 23-Year Investigation

A Kane County jury on Wednesday convicted Prince Cunningham, 53, of Yorkville, of first-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of Tyesha Bell, a 22-year-old mother from Aurora whose disappearance haunted her family and community for more than two decades.

The verdict ended a case that began as a missing person report and became one of the longest cold cases in Kane County history. Bell's remains were not discovered until December 2020, when a construction surveyor found her skull on a wooded property in Montgomery.

A mother who vanished after a phone call

Bell was last seen on the morning of May 9, 2003, at the apartment she shared with her sister in the 800 block of North Randall Road in Aurora, according to Aurora police.

Her sister LaTasha Bell testified that she heard a distinctive ringtone on Tyesha's phone. Tyesha had assigned that ringtone to Cunningham, the father of her nearly 2-year-old daughter.

"The next morning, I found her bedroom door open, with a television on and a candle burning," LaTasha Bell told the jury. "Her purse and identification were still in the room."

Bell's mother reported her missing the next day. She never returned home.

Prosecutors said Bell left her apartment to meet Cunningham, who told her he would bring cash for a car. It was the last time anyone saw her alive.

A motive tied to child support

Cunningham was married at the time but had fathered Bell's daughter. Prosecutors said Bell had previously taken Cunningham to court for child support after a DNA test confirmed paternity. She had later asked the state to stop collecting payments after Cunningham convinced her to accept cash instead.

But prosecutors argued that Bell had recently told Cunningham she intended to reinstate formal child support garnishment through the court system.

In the days after Bell disappeared, Cunningham told police he had not spoken to her in months and denied being the father of her child, according to court records. He also contacted Montgomery police to report stolen Converse shoes from his car and suggested Bell might have been involved.

Cunningham deactivated his phone, changed his number, and gave his car to his niece, delaying investigators' ability to search the vehicle for months.

Remains found 17 years later

Bell's bones, clothing, and personal items were discovered in a shallow grave on a Montgomery construction site in December 2020. A Converse shoe matching the age of the remains was also found at the scene.

Forensic analysis confirmed the remains belonged to Bell. A medical examiner determined she died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Cunningham was indicted and arrested in June 2022.

The trial

Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser personally led the prosecution.

Cunningham's defense attorney, Elliot Pinsel, argued in closing arguments that prosecutors had not presented conclusive evidence. He said Aurora police should have investigated another man Bell was dating at the time and noted that no gun was ever recovered.

"This case is built on assumptions and not proof," Pinsel told the jury.

The jury was not convinced. They found Cunningham guilty of first-degree murder and also determined he personally discharged the firearm.

What happens next

Cunningham faces a minimum sentence of 45 years in prison, with a maximum of 85 years. At least 20 years are mandatory for murder, and an additional 25 years apply because the jury found he personally fired the gun, according to court records.

He is due back in court on July 31 at the Kane County Judicial Center for post-trial motions.

A family's long wait

Bell's family and friends broke down in court as the verdict was read.

"And I was hoping all those years that she'd just show up one day, but she never did. So heartbreaking," said Tiffany James, Bell's friend.

"He cheated us out of a little sister. He cheated her children out of their mother," said Shaquisha Posey, Bell's older sister. "When those girls get married or have babies, they need their mother there. Most importantly, he took her away from their mother."

Mosser issued a statement after the verdict.

"For more than 23 years, Tyesha Bell's family has lived with unanswered questions, unimaginable grief, and the pain of not knowing what happened to their daughter, sister, and mother," Mosser said. "While no verdict can restore the life that was taken from Tyesha, we hope this decision brings them a measure of peace."

Retired Aurora Sergeant Jim Coursey and Detective Jeff Koenings were credited by the state's attorney's office for their work on the investigation.