VICTIMS Rhoda McFarland, 42, Joliet, Illinois Jennifer Bishop, 34, South Bend, Indiana Carrie Hudek Chiuso, 33, Frankfort, Illinois Sara Szafanski, 22, Oak Forest, Illinois Connie Woolfolk, 37, Flossmoor, Illinois A sixth woman survived a gunshot wound to her neck by laying down and playing dead until the gunman vanished. She bravely assisted law enforcement with the description of the killer.
Saturday, February 2, 2008 just after 10:00 A.M. a person described as a black male, medium to dark skin, 6’0 – 6’2, with 3 to 5 puffy corn rows running from the back of his head to the front, with one strand with green beads hanging over his right cheek. He had a husky build and broad shoulders came in to the Lane Bryant store in the Brookside Marketplace shopping mall at 191st and Harlem in Tinley Park, pretending to be a delivery person. He wore a black jacket and a charcoal gray knit cap. He may be 35 to 45 years of age (at the time of the murders)
He took out a .40 caliber Glock pistol, said he was robbing the store and forced the women to go in to the back room. They were bound with duct tape and told to lay on the floor face down. The other women that came in to the store were also restrained. He then continued going through the victims purses and wallets and the rest of the store.
Rhoda McFarland was able to call 911 thru her Bluetooth whispering the location before the connection was lost. This 911 call was broadcast, as the suspects voice was also caught on the call and at one point the suspect can be heard what is believed to say “I’m losing it”. A Tinley Park Officer near the scene was just a few hundred yards away when he heard the call and was on the scene within a minute, but the suspect was already gone. The suspect was in the store for about forty minutes. Officers had to face the horrific scene of seeing five women, face down with their hands tied behind their backs, all shot “execution style”. It is believed that the suspect opened fire after finding Rhoda McFarland on the phone with 911.
Law enforcement believes the cause of these deaths was a botched robbery. Money was taken from the store but it was not stated if the suspect took any other items.
Assisting in this case was the Tinley Park Police Department, Will County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, FBI, Secret Service, NASA.
I never heard if any DNA, fingerprints, shoe prints or blood was lifted from the crime scene for the suspect.
I am certain that someone out there knows something. The description of this suspect is very detailed, enough for someone to know exactly who the suspect is. If you are in fear, please know that you would be doing the right thing in coming forward, and that the police would protect you. Five families continue to suffer. Please, do the right thing and come forward. I’m not sure if this number or email is still active, but If you have any information on anything that could possibly assist law enforcement with taking this mass killer off the street, please. Tip Line was (708) 444-5394, tip email address was lanebryant.tipline@tinleypark.org There is still a $100,000 reward for information. The reward is NOT dependent on a conviction.
Link to the 911 call: (Warning - Graphic and true to it's nature) https://cms6.revize.com/revize/tinleypark/document_center/Police%20Department/Lane%20Bryant%20Homicide%20Investigation/LaneBryant.WAV