() A filmmaker working on a documentary about the unsolved murders of five women at a Lane Bryant store in suburban Chicago is urging police to try something different.
“It’s been 17 and a half years maybe change your strategy a little bit. It’s an absolute travesty that this is unsolved,” Charlie Minn told “Banfield” on Thursday.
Authorities have not reported any recent breaks in the cold case, long after releasing sketches of the gunman and garbled audio of the killer’s voice that is heard on a 911 recording made when one of the victims called for help.
How the killings unfolded at Lane Bryant store
On Feb. 2, 2008, a man posing as a delivery driver entered the Tinley Park store and pulled a gun on six women, forcing them into a back room. The gunman shot all six, but one of the women survived and later helped police develop a sketch of the killer. Slain were Carrie Chiuso, 33; Connie Woolfolk, 37; Sarah Szafranski, 22; Rhoda McFarland, 42; and Jennifer Bishop, 34.
Maurice Hamilton, the brother of McFarland, the woman who made the 911 call, said Tinley Park police have updated families periodically. He told CBS his mother died last year without knowing who killed Rhoda but the family remains hopeful they’ll learn his identity.
“I think of the person as a coward, and I wish nothing but the worst for him,” Hamilton said. “He’ll come to justice one day, whether it’s here or up there.”
Reward of $100,000 offered to ID killer
Linn told “Banfield” that social media could one day break the case. He said police would do better at this point by being more open with the media, podcasters and filmmakers like himself who can reach wider audiences.
“I have a better chance of getting pregnant than the Tinley Park PD releasing any information. They are so tight-lipped,” he said.
reached out to Tinley Park Police Chief Thomas Tilton by email seeking comment. The village’s website encourages the public to offer tips about the case, and a $100,000 reward is offered for information leading to the killer’s arrest. The phone number to leave tips is (708) 444-5394.
