Tinley Park Brings 'Fresh Eyes' To Lane Bryant Killings: Police

TINLEY PARK, IL — Authorities have not announced an arrest in Tinley Park's Lane Bryant killings which took place 14 years ago on Feb. 2, 2008 — but they say they're dedicating new resources to solving the crime. That day, six suburban women were shot, five fatally, inside a Lane Bryant store in the Brookside Marketplace at 191st and Harlem Avenue.

A gunman forced the six women — four shoppers, the store manager and an employee — to the back of the store and opened fire around 10:44 that Saturday morning. Those killed were Connie R. Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor; Sarah T. Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Carrie Hudek Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort; Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet; and Jennifer L. Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Indiana.

Only one woman, a store employee, survived after playing dead and waiting for the gunman to leave.

In a chilling recording, the killer's voice can be heard here as part of the 911 call store manager Rhoda McFarland made to police while he was still in the store.

"We’ve never given up on this case," said Mayor Michael Glotz. "Every year, we make sure the police department has the resources they need to continue their investigation. We won’t rest until the killer is brought to justice and the families of those five innocent women have the closure they deserve."

Tinley Park Police Chief Matt Walsh told Patch two new detectives were assigned to take over the case. According to officials, police are still receiving tips associated with the killings. In 2020 alone, over 50 tips came into the Tinley Park hotline.

"Due to the retirement of our lead investigator and the promotion of another, we decided now was the perfect time to bring in a fresh set of eyes to review the evidence," Deputy Chief Lawrence Rafferty said in a press release. "The young officers we’ve assigned to this case have been doing an outstanding job so far, going back over hundreds of old leads and following up on new ones as they come in."

Local police, company officials and South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force are still offering a $100,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest.

Last year, former investigator on the case Ray Violetto told Patch that police have received nearly 7,500 tips since the investigation began, but wouldn't say if there are any suspects, only that the case remains an active investigation, and the police department "remains very dedicated to solving this crime."

On the 10th anniversary of the crime, a 3D sketch of the suspect was released during a media "blitz." Violetto had told Patch that the sketch alone brought more than 100 tips to the station that year.

There is precedent for cold cases like the Lane Bryant killings to be solved in the Chicago area. In 2002, the 1993 murders of seven people at the Palatine Brown's Chicken were solved. The case was cracked thanks to DNA evidence and a tip from a woman who said the killers confessed to her shortly after the murders.

The sketch of the Lane Bryant killer can still be found on the Tinley Park village website and remains on the wall of the Tinley Park police station.

Police say the suspect is a man between 6 feet tall and 6 feet 2 inches tall, with a husky build and broad shoulders. He appeared to be 25 to 35 years old at the time of the killings, making him 39 to 49 years old today. He has a medium to dark skin complexion.

The suspect was wearing a dark-colored waist-length jacket and black jeans with embroidery on the back pockets similar to a cursive "G." He also was wearing a charcoal gray skull cap.

The Lane Bryant murders tip hotline at 708-444-5394 is still open and tips can be emailed to lanebryant.tipline@tinleypark.org. Tips can be anonymous.

Related:

Lane Bryant Murders: Remembering Joliet's Rhoda McFarland

New 3D Image Of Lane Bryant Suspect Released By Tinley Police

Last Piece Of Lane Bryant Case's Puzzle Needed, Cops Say

A Fresh Start for Former Lane Bryant Building in Brookside Marketplace