Tinley Park Lane Bryant mass murder victims remembered on 10th anniversary

Leah Hope Image
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Lane Bryant mass murder victims remembered on 10th anniversary
The five women shot to death in a Tinley Park Lane Bryant store were remembered Friday in a memorial service held on the 10th anniversary of the brutal and unsolved crime.

TINLEY PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- The five women shot to death in a Tinley Park Lane Bryant store were remembered Friday in a memorial service held on the 10th anniversary of the brutal and unsolved crime.

A midway service called those remembering the victims to worship.

On Feb. 2, 2008, five women were shot to death in the back of a Lane Bryant store: Carrie Chiuso of Frankfort, Rhoda McFarland of Joliet, Connie R. Woolfolk of Flossmoor, Sarah T. Szafranski of Oak Forest, and Jennifer L. Bishop of South Bend, Ind.

"It's a sad day. I thought it would be easier. All of the memories of all of the things they missed over the last 10 years," said Michele Talos, sister of Jennifer Bishop.

"I'm just blessed to have such people around who care," said Maurice Hamilton, brother of Rhoda McFarland.

The five victims were among six women - two employees and four customers - who were taken into a back room at the store, duct taped and shot. One victim survived; she has never been publicly identified.

The surviving victim helped create a sketch that has been updated into a three-dimensional image.

More than 7,000 tips and leads have come in, but investigators told the ABC7 I-Team the motive is still unclear and the man who shot the women, heard in a 911 call, remains unknown.

"There is no doubt in my mind that there are people out there that have information for this case. Listen to the snippets of the 911 call, there's very clear voice on there with words that if you know this person you would be able to identify him from his voice," said Detective Ray Violetto, Tinley Park Police Department.

Investigators hope attention on the 10th anniversary may liberate someone's memory or someone holding a secret.

"We have a tremendous amount of physical evidence," said Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow. "The guy who did this could be sitting in a cell right now, contemplating confessing. He could be sitting in a car watching us right now. We're gonna find him. We are absolutely gonna find him."

Families of the victims were given candles used during the service. Some relatives are also eager for more answers as they continue to miss their lived ones.

"I got faith in the police department, they are doing a great job. They keep up the good work. They communicate well with us. It's just a blessing to have them on the case," Hamilton said.

"I hope that somebody who knows who did it felt compassion from looking at that sketch, and realized they need to tell who did it," said Talos.

RESOURCES TO REPORT ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS CRIME

Tinley Park Police Department: (708) 444-5394

lanebryant.tipline@tinleypark.org

To listen to the suspect's voice call: (866) 853-6222