Man found dead on front steps of his home, IL cops say. 3 charged with murder

Three men are accused of killing a 43-year-old man found dead outside his Illinois home, authorities say.

The body of Ruben J. Hernandez was discovered just after 10 p.m. July 1 when deputies arrived to the Rockford home for a report of a “disturbance,” according to a June 3 news release from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff said Hernandez was found with “severe head injuries” on the home’s front steps.

An investigation revealed three men had been at the home earlier in the night and were in a fight with Hernandez, the sheriff said.

They returned later in the night and “violently assaulted the victim, resulting in his death,” according to the news release.

A motive for the attack is unclear.

The three men — 35-year-old Melvin D. Richardson, 35-year-old Andre L. Richardson Jr. and 32-year-old Kevin M. Harris — are now charged with first-degree murder, authorities said.

“Our detectives moved quickly and professionally to identify those responsible, and I want to commend everyone involved for their efforts in delivering justice to the victim’s family,” Sheriff Gary Caruana said in a statement.

Rockford is about an 85-mile drive northwest from Chicago.