Youths accused of torturing mentally disabled man denied bail

Jordan Hill, Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, all 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, the four youths accused of torturing a disabled man and streaming it live on Facebook, appeared in a Chicago court on Friday and were denied bail.

They could be heard making anti-white racial taunts during the filmed assault, as well as derogatory statements about president-elect Donald Trump. They have been charged with aggravated kidnapping and battery and hate crimes among other charges.

"I'm looking at each of you and wondering where was the sense of decency that each of you should have had?" Judge Ciesil said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I don't see it."

Prosecutors told the court the beating started in a van and continued at a house, where the suspects allegedly forced the 18-year-old white victim, who suffers from schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder, to drink toilet water and kiss the floor.

The victim had been dropped off at a McDonalds to meet Mr Hill – who he knew from school and was one of his friends - on 31 December. By January 2, the victim’s mother had become anxious after not hearing from her son. She is reported to have contacted Hill to ask for her son to be returned. According to assistant state’s attorney Erin Antonietti, this angered Hill who then took the victim to an apartment where he was bound, gagged, beaten and stabbed with a knife while his assailants streamed the incident online.

Hill is also reported to have demanded $300 from the victim’s mother in exchange for her son. The victim was found disoriented by police after neighbours complained about noise coming from the apartment.