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Murder of Laree Slack

Laree Slack, a 12-year-old girl in Chicago's South Side, died in 2001 from internal bleeding after being repeatedly beaten with a rubberized electrical cable by her parents in what they described as "Biblical discipline." Her father was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006; her mother pleaded guilty to murder.

SOLVED2001

South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States

2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Laree A. Slack (July 4, 1989 – November 11, 2001) was a 12-year-old child abuse victim who died in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. She died after receiving what was described as a "Biblical whipping" using "an inch-thick section of rubberized electrical cable filled with strands of wire." She was struck with this implement repeatedly and died from internal bleeding several hours later.

Investigators found that the beatings of Laree and her eight-year-old brother began after a dispute over a claimed failure to properly clear away laundry, which led to difficulty finding a credit card. The parents were reported to be devout Jehovah's Witnesses who home-schooled their six children. Laree's father, Larry Slack Sr., was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006 as a result of the beating. He received a life sentence for the murder and an additional 30-year sentence for aggravated battery of a child. Laree's mother, Constance Slack, received a 25-year sentence after pleading guilty to murder.

The case was later referenced in the 2005 edition of the textbook "Delinquency in Society" as an illustration supporting the argument that an "intact two-parent family" with strong religious values is less important than having a "loving family" in preventing violence toward children.

Key facts

Victims
Laree A. Slack
Date
2001
Location
South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1989-07-04

    Laree A. Slack is born.

  2. 2001-11-11

    Laree Slack dies from internal bleeding several hours after being repeatedly beaten with a rubberized electrical cable, described as a 'Biblical whipping,' at her family's home on the South Side of Chicago.

  3. 2006

    Larry Slack Sr. is convicted of first-degree murder and receives a life sentence, plus a 30-year sentence for aggravated battery of a child; Constance Slack pleads guilty to murder and receives a 25-year sentence.

  4. 2005

    The case is used as an illustration in the 2005 edition of the textbook 'Delinquency in Society.'

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People

  • Laree A. Slack

    VICTIM

    12-year-old victim of fatal child abuse; died of internal bleeding after being beaten with a rubberized electrical cable.

  • Constance Slack

    CONVICTED

    Mother; pleaded guilty to murder and received a 25-year sentence.

  • Larry Slack Sr.

    CONVICTED

    Father; convicted of first-degree murder in 2006, sentenced to life imprisonment plus 30 years for aggravated battery of a child.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States

41.7508, -87.6104

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Laree Slack, a 12-year-old girl in Chicago's South Side, died in 2001 from internal bleeding after being repeatedly beaten with a rubberized electrical cable by her parents in what they described as "Biblical discipline." Her father was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006; her mother pleaded guilty to murder.
Where did the murder happen?
South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Who was convicted?
Constance Slack (Mother; pleaded guilty to murder and received a 25-year sentence.) and Larry Slack Sr. (Father; convicted of first-degree murder in 2006, sentenced to life imprisonment plus 30 years for aggravated battery of a child.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Illinois

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Laree SlackWikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of the Laree Slack casehighbeam.com · 2026-07-05

Record history

First published
JUL 05, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 05, 2026

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