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Many of those charged were former leaders of the Latin Kings gang, and some still possibly could be in the gang's upper echelons, said Aurora police Chief William Powell. He said the Latin Kings account for a "huge percentage" of the gang crime in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago.
Twenty-nine of those accused _ bearing nicknames such as Shorty Juan, Pep Dog and Ugly Face Carlos _ were in custody Friday, authorities said. The search continued for two of the men.
They ranged in age from 17 to 55, but most were in their mid-20s to late 30s. The oldest homicide dates back to 1989, the most recent took place in 2005. Powell said many of those killed belonged to rival street gangs, but some were innocent victims.
Aurora, located about 40 miles west of Chicago, is the state's second-largest city with a population of about 170,000 people. It has struggled with gang-related violent crime since the early 1980s; the city has seen eight murders so far this year, Powell said.
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 In many of the killings, police believed they knew who was responsible early on but couldn't prove it because of witnesses who refused or were too scared to talk. The passage of time has eased witnesses' reluctance, Powell said.
A special grand jury appointed in April began delivering batches of sealed indictments in May, with the latest coming this past Wednesday.
While some of the suspects already have made preliminary appearances in court, none have entered pleas, according to the state's attorney's office.
[Associated Press
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By TARA BURGHART]
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