Reward Upped To $10,000 In 1979 Double Homicide Of Niles West Students

MORTON GROVE, IL — The reward has been increased to $10,000 for information leading to the conviction of the killer in the slaying of two Niles West High School students 44 years ago.

Eyvonne Bender, 17, of Skokie, and Susan Ovington, 17, of Morton Grove, headed out to go shopping at the E.J. Korvette/Par King shopping mall, at the intersection of Dempster Street and Waukegan Road around 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 5, 1979.

That evening, they were found shot dead in St. Paul Woods, in the Cook County Forest Preserves near the 6600 block of Dempster Street, authorities said. Investigators believe they were killed around 3 p.m. that afternoon.

The investigation into their death has remained open ever since, with a review by the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force carried out in the early 2000s and a review by Morton Grove police and the cold case unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in 2005, according to Morton Grove Police Cmdr. Dennis Johnson.

"We will continue to seek assistance from the public and any person who has information and/or knowledge of the circumstances surrounding these homicides," Johnson said in a release. "Regardless of how long a person has been in possession of information, or how trivial the information may seem, it may be vital to the outcome."

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Morton Grove detectives have continued to follow up on leads since 2020 and private labs are continuing to analyze DNA evidence.

Investigators have also met with DNA experts to review and re-examine DNA evidence from the case and consulted with the state's attorney's office, the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to Johnson.

Classmates of Bender and Ovington would be in their 60s now, and some of the girls family have passed on without closure.

Ahead of the 44th anniversary of the teens' homicide Tuesday, a former schoolmate and friend of the girls who wished to remain anonymous contacted Cook County Crime Stoppers and offered to increase the cash reward for information leading to an arrest from $1,000 to $10,000, according to George McDade, chairman of the group.

"Our hope is that someone will remember something they know or have heard about the case and share that information with Morton Grove investigators,” said McDade.

Tips to Crime Stoppers can be anonymous — all tipsters will be given a code number. If a tipster provides information that helps to solve the crime, they will receive up to $10,000 cash, good for 60 days. Tips can be called in to 847-663-3828 or emailed to tips@cookcountycrimestoppers.org.