Tinley Park, Illinois — More than 18 years after five women were murdered inside a Lane Bryant clothing store, one of America’s most notorious unsolved mass killings remains without an arrest.
On the morning of February 2, 2008, employees and customers inside the Lane Bryant store at Brookside Marketplace had no idea they were about to become victims of a crime that would shock the nation.
What began as an apparent robbery quickly turned into a massacre.
Five women were murdered.
One survived.
The killer disappeared.
The Victims
The women killed inside the store were:
- Rhoda McFarland, 42, store manager
- Carrie Hudek Chiuso, 33, store employee
- Connie Woolfolk, 37, customer
- Sarah Szafranski, 22, customer
- Jennifer Bishop, 34, customer
A sixth woman, a 33-year-old part-time sales associate whose identity has never been publicly released, survived the attack and became the only eyewitness to what happened inside the store.
What Happened Inside Lane Bryant?
According to investigators, a man entered the store shortly after 10:00 a.m. carrying paperwork and posing as a delivery worker.
After remaining inside for approximately 15 minutes, he produced a .40-caliber Glock handgun and announced a robbery.
The gunman forced several women into a rear stockroom area.
There, he ordered them to bind one another with duct tape and lie face down on the floor.
Authorities later revealed that he took underwear from store displays and used them as blindfolds.
As the ordeal unfolded, two additional women entered the store and were also taken hostage.
At approximately 10:44 a.m., store manager Rhoda McFarland managed to place a desperate 911 call while wearing a Bluetooth earpiece.
Police officers arrived within minutes.
By then, five women had been shot to death.
The surviving employee had been shot in the neck but remained alive after playing dead until the gunman fled.
The Investigation
Investigators quickly encountered a major obstacle.
The store had no internal security cameras.
Despite that challenge, authorities recovered significant evidence, including DNA, the suspect’s voice captured during the 911 call, and a detailed description provided by the surviving witness.
Over the years, detectives have repeatedly tested evidence against state and national databases.
No match has been identified.
The motive also remains unclear.
Although the offender initially claimed the incident was a robbery, investigators noted that cash and valuables were largely left behind.
That has led some investigators to question whether robbery was ever the true motive.
Suspect Description
Authorities described the suspect as a Black male with a medium complexion, approximately 6 feet tall with a husky build.
At the time of the murders, he was believed to be between 25 and 39 years old.
He wore his hair in several cornrows and had a braid hanging along the right side of his face adorned with light green beads.
Investigators also noted distinctive clothing, including black jeans and a dark jacket.
Today, the suspect would likely be in his late 40s to late 50s.
Renewed Attention and Reward
The Lane Bryant murders have received renewed attention through documentaries, podcasts, and continued advocacy from victims’ families.
The case was featured in the documentary Who Killed These Women? and received extensive examination through investigative podcast coverage.
Family members continue to publicly plead for answers.
A reward of up to $200,000 is currently available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
More than a decade and a half later, five women never returned home from a shopping trip or a workday.
One survivor still carries the memory of what happened.
And one of America’s most infamous unsolved mass murders remains open.
Anyone with information regarding the Lane Bryant murders is urged to contact the Tinley Park Police Department at 708-444-5394 or email [email protected].
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished