Shocking Lane Bryant Cold Case Resurfaces 18 Years Later as New Documentary Probes Murder of 5 Women in Illinois Store
Nearly two decades after five Lane Bryant employees and customers were executed inside a suburban Chicago clothing shop, the horror still hangs over Tinley Park — and a new documentary hopes to finally break the silence around one of Illinois’ most haunting unsolved crimes.
On February 2, 2008, a man posing as a delivery driver walked into the Lane Bryant store where four employees were working and two customers were browsing. Within minutes, all six women were tied up. Five were shot in cold blood. Only one survived — a part-time employee whose identity has never been released — and her account remains one of the only clues police have.
The victims were Rhoda McFarland, 42; Connie Woolfolk, 37; Jennifer Bishop, 34; Carrie Chiuso, 33; and Sarah Szafranski, 22. One woman was sexually assaulted during the attack, but investigators have never disclosed details.
Photos of the women still hang inside what local detectives call the “war room,” where evidence from the case has remained untouched for 18 years. The store itself sat vacant for six years after the murders before being repurposed in 2013 — but the community has never moved on.
A surviving victim helped police build a composite sketch of the gunman, and his voice can be heard in the eerie 911 call reporting the attack. Yet despite national attention and a standing $100,000 reward, no suspect has ever been caught.
Now, former America’s Most Wanted producer Charlie Minn is trying to change that. His new documentary, “The Tinley Park 5,” premieres February 13 in local theaters and aims to reignite public outrage.
“The whole point is to stir up enough attention to solve the case,” Minn told WBEZ. “People move on. I hope they see this and get as angry as I am.”
Families of the victims are still desperate for closure. Mike Hudek, whose sister Carrie was among the murdered, says justice now depends on someone finally speaking up.
“He’s somebody’s son, grandson, nephew,” Hudek told CBS Chicago. “This individual won’t be caught until somebody identifies who he is.”
Hudek says his family focuses on celebrating Carrie’s life, not the nightmare that took it. “We’ll certainly have a toast tonight in her honor,” he said.
Tinley Park Police insist the case has never gone cold behind the scenes.
“This investigation has never stopped,” Police Chief Tom Tilton told ABC7. “Detectives continue to review evidence and pursue leads every day.”
Eighteen years later, the hope is that fresh eyes — and a louder spotlight — might finally expose the killer who slipped away.
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