Cold Cases in Illinois
ColdCaseIndex documents 30 cold cases in Illinois, spanning 1911–2025. 18 of these cases remain fully unsolved. Each case page includes documented details, status, and information on how to submit a tip.
By Type
By Status
All Illinois Cases
Chicago River North Mass Shooting Victims
On the night of July 2, 2025, occupants of a dark-colored vehicle opened fire on a crowd leaving an album release party outside Artis Restaurant and Lounge in Chicago's River North neighborhood, killing four people and w
Taylor Casey
Taylor Casey, a 41-year-old yoga practitioner and youth advocate from Chicago, vanished on June 19, 2024, while attending a month-long yoga teacher certification program at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise I
Jelani Day
Jelani Day, a 25-year-old Illinois State University graduate student, was last seen in Bloomington on August 24, 2021. His car was found abandoned near Peru, Illinois, and his body was recovered from the Illinois River d
Kierra Coles
Kierra Coles, a 26-year-old U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who was about three months pregnant, vanished from Chicago's South Side in October 2018. Her car was found near her home with her phone and lunch still inside,
Kenneka Jenkins
Nineteen-year-old Kenneka Jenkins was found dead in a walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare hotel after a party. Her death was ruled hypothermia. Controversy surrounds the circumstances.
Yingying Zhang
Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang was kidnapped and murdered by University of Illinois PhD student Brendt Christensen. Despite his conviction, he never revealed where he hid her remains.
Laquan McDonald
Seventeen-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. Dashboard camera footage was suppressed for 13 months. Van Dyke became the first Chicago officer convicted of murder for an o
Timmothy Pitzen
Six-year-old Timmothy Pitzen vanished after his mother pulled him out of school in Aurora, Illinois, and took him on a multi-day trip before dying by suicide. She left a note saying the boy was safe with people who would
Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson & Julian King
Actress Jennifer Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson, brother Jason Hudson, and seven-year-old nephew Julian King were murdered in their Chicago home. William Balfour, ex-husband of Hudson's sister Julia, was convicted of t
Lisa Stebic
Lisa Stebic vanished from her Plainfield, Illinois home during a contentious divorce. Her husband Craig refused to cooperate with police. She has never been found.
Stacy Peterson
Stacy Peterson disappeared from Bolingbrook, Illinois. Her husband Drew Peterson, a former police officer, was suspected. He was later convicted of the separate murder of his third wife Kathleen Savio. Stacy's body has n
Brian Carrick
Sixteen-year-old Brian Carrick disappeared after leaving his home in McHenry, Illinois. He was last seen at a gas station. Despite extensive searches, he has never been found.
Trudy Appleby
Eleven-year-old Trudy Appleby vanished from Moline, Illinois on a hot summer day. A family friend was named a person of interest but was never charged. Her body has never been found.
Donnah Winger
Mark Winger murdered his wife Donnah and a shuttle driver he lured to their home, staging it to look like a break-in. He was a hero until a friend went to police years later.
Susan Lund ("Ina Jane Doe")
In 1993, the severed head of a woman was found in a state park near Ina, Illinois, and she remained unidentified for nearly 30 years as "Ina Jane Doe." In 2022 forensic genetic genealogy identified her as Susan Lund, a m
Tammy Zywicki
College student Tammy Zywicki was last seen with her disabled car on Interstate 80 in LaSalle County, Illinois. Her body was found nine days later in Missouri. Multiple witnesses saw a semi-truck near her car, but the dr
Dardeen Family
Keith Dardeen, his pregnant wife Elaine, and their young son were murdered in and near their mobile home outside Ina, Illinois, in one of southern Illinois's most notorious unsolved crimes.
Jeanine Nicarico
Jeanine Nicarico, 10, was abducted from her Naperville, Illinois home and murdered in February 1983. Two men were wrongly convicted and sent to death row before being exonerated; serial killer Brian Dugan pleaded guilty
Chicago Tylenol Murders Victims
Seven people in Chicago died after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules in 1982. The deaths prompted a nationwide recall and led to tamper-resistant packaging regulations. James W. Lewis was convicted of extortion relat
Karla Brown
Karla Brown was murdered in her Wood River, Illinois home days before her wedding. A bite mark on her body was key evidence. John Prante was convicted but later exonerated.
Helen Brach
Candy heiress Helen Brach vanished after a visit to the Mayo Clinic. Her disappearance was linked to a horse-related fraud ring. She was declared legally dead in 1984.
Dorothy Hunt
Dorothy Hunt, wife of Watergate figure E. Howard Hunt, was killed in a United Airlines plane crash near Chicago. She was allegedly carrying $10,000 in cash. Some investigators and family members believed the crash was sa
John Wayne Gacy Victims
John Wayne Gacy tortured and murdered 33 young men and boys, burying 26 under his house. He was convicted in 1980 and executed in 1994. After his execution, investigators used DNA to identify unknown victims. Some remain
Richard Speck Victims
Richard Speck broke into a Chicago townhouse and methodically murdered eight student nurses. Corazon Amurao survived by hiding under a bed and later identified Speck. He was convicted and sentenced to death, later commut
Valerie Percy
Valerie Percy, daughter of Senate candidate Charles Percy, was stabbed and beaten to death in her family's lakeside mansion in Kenilworth. A mysterious intruder entered through a window. Despite federal and local investi
Barbara & Patricia Grimes
Sisters Barbara (15) and Patricia (13) Grimes disappeared after seeing an Elvis Presley movie in Chicago. Their nude bodies were found in a ditch outside the city weeks later. Despite extensive investigation and multiple
Grimes Sisters
Sisters Barbara (15) and Patricia (13) Grimes disappeared after attending a movie in Chicago. Their frozen bodies were found a month later along a rural road. The case has never been solved.
Suzanne Degnan
Six-year-old Suzanne Degnan was abducted from her bedroom in Chicago and dismembered. William Heirens, known as the 'Lipstick Killer' for writing on walls with lipstick, was convicted in 1946 and spent 65 years in prison
Bobby Franks
Fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks was murdered by wealthy University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb as a thrill kill. Attorney Clarence Darrow's defense saved them from execution; they received life sen
Elsie Paroubek
Five-year-old Elsie Paroubek vanished from her Chicago neighborhood in 1911. Her body was found in a drainage canal weeks later. The case inspired one of outsider artist Henry Darger's works.