Logan Square Neighbors Mourn the Death of “Bella”

For at least 7 years, a homeless woman known by many neighborhood residents as “Bella” lived in the Logan Square neighborhood, often near Cortland Street and Elston Avenue.

Last Wednesday her body, identified as Isabelle Mali, age 50, was found in an alley behind the 1900 block of North Elston Avenue, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The woman, police said, was apparently homeless, and was found dead at about 3:30 p.m., police said. Officers are conducting an investigation on the causes of her death, while awaiting the results of an autopsy, which is scheduled for Thursday.

Chicago Breaking News spoke with Joan Brogdon-Lipman a resident of the Logan Square neighborhood, who said she had known “Bella” for 7 or 8 years from the neighborhood. She said the two met when Mali was living under the viaduct on Cortland between Ashland and Elston Avenues.

Brogdon-Lipman said Mali was a warm and friendly woman who everyone liked, she would sometimes bring food and clothing to Mali and when Mali found out Brogdon-Lipman’s daughter was starting college, she offered the daughter some books to read.

Brogdon-Lipman said her immediate family were friends with Mali.

While police and the medical examiner’s office could not provide a cause of death, Brogdon-Lipman said neighbors were told the death could be from natural causes.