51 Years Later, Homewood Police Chief Hasn't Given Up On Solving Missing Teen's Case

HOMEWOOD, IL — Homewood Police Chief Denise McGrath issued a public plea this week, in hopes of reinvigorating efforts to solve a missing persons case that's stuck with her for decades.

Nancy O'Sullivan disappeared in 1974, and the case has remained quietly open, in the hope that someone who knows something would shed light on what happened to the then-teen.

"We’re really just looking for any information," said McGrath. "I wish we could say we had some direction, but I think with the limited information we have right now, anything is possible.

"We have to be open-minded, see where the information leads us."

O'Sullivan was 15 years old at the time she went missing. She was last seen in Homewood or South Holland on March 7, 1974. Her father reported missing on March 8, 1974. Over the years, there have been multiple accounts regarding her last known whereabouts, but no definitive answers have been found.

McGrath first learned of the case during her time as a dispatcher in the early 1990s, she said. Later, in her roles as detective and detective sergeant, she pulled the file to dig in and see what information there was to work off of.

"Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot of information in the file to give us any indication of really what happened to Nancy," McGrath said.

Details are sparse, but McGrath recalled what she could. O'Sullivan was one of 11 children. The family was originally from South Holland, but had recently moved to Homewood. One of her sisters feels pretty strongly that O'Sullivan had returned to South Holland to visit old neighbors, McGrath said, and that that is where she was last seen.

But McGrath knows that barely scratches the surface of details around her disappearance.

"There’s a lot uncorroborated," McGrath said. "We don’t know what we don’t know."

McGrath said a number of O'Sullivan's siblings are still alive, and hopeful the renewed push for information will bring them closer to closure.

"The best possible outcome would be that she is alive and well, and just chose not to reach out to anyone over the years," McGrath said. "That would be the perfect ending to this. We are all cognizant that it could be a different kind of ending.

"I think everyone would like to have some kind of peace of mind."

Police and the family have taken steps in the past to aid any investigatory efforts—including providing DNA swabs to be entered into a database for future use.

"Nothing has materialized from that," McGrath said.

"Over the years, if there were remains found, or an unidentified body, there were efforts made to see whether or not it was Nancy."

McGrath said they're seeking any information, "not only about her disappearance, but about Nancy herself, that might lead us down a path to help with the investigation.

“This case has never been forgotten. We believe that someone out there knows something—perhaps a detail that seemed insignificant at the time but could now be the missing piece to this puzzle. We urge anyone with information to come forward.”

O'Sullivan's siblings still hold out hope, and do their part to be sure she is not forgotten.

"Her sister Kathy has been a great advocate for her over the years," McGrath said. "She has always done her part to make sure Nancy is never forgotten.

"She has always wanted Nancy to know she’s always thinking of her, and she’s always in the back of her mind."

McGrath said she feels a sense of obligation to the family.

"I certainly feel for any family that has had someone go missing, or who has had a family member that is the victim of a crime," she said. "I would just like to bring some resolution to that family, so they can have some peace of mind."

Authorities encourage anyone with knowledge of Nancy O'Sullivan’s disappearance to contact the Homewood Police Department. Even the smallest piece of information could be critical in providing closure to her family.

For tips or additional information, please contact:

• Homewood Police Department Dedicated Tip Inbox: Nancy1974@homewoodil.gov
• Voicemail Inbox: (708) 206-3373