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Lane Bryant massacre: Criminal profiler says arrest could come in 2008 murder of 5 in women's clothing store

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Lane Bryant massacre: Criminal profiler says arrest could come in 2008 murder of 5 in women's clothing store

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It was as cold-blooded as cold cases come. 

On Feb. 2, 2008, a man posing as a delivery driver walked into a Lane Bryant clothing store in Tinley Park, a suburb of Chicago, with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He forced six women he found inside into a back room, duct taped their hands behind their backs and fondled one of them, police said. 

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Eventually, he shot them all. 

While the attacker may have believed he killed all of them, one survived, according to investigators. She was a part-time employee whose description of the suspect police hoped would lead to an arrest. Despite thousands of leads over the past 16 years, the killer remains at large.

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The victims, from left: Jennifer Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Ind.; Carrie Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort; Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet; Sarah Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Connie Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor. Background: Tinley Park Police Cmdr. Pat McCain makes a phone call in an office dedicated to the investigation. (Insets: FOX 32 Chicago, Background: Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The killer is believed to be just over 6 feet tall, with a “husky” build and broad shoulders. He was described as a Black man between 25 and 35 years old at the time of the attack, with a medium dark skin tone and corn-rowed hair. He had one braid hanging down his right cheek, adorned with green beads. He was wearing black jeans with a rhinestone “G” embroidered over the back pockets, a dark gray cap and a dark jacket.

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Grainy surveillance video taken from across the street shows a dark SUV and a dark sedan in the parking lot around the time of the murders, The Associated Press reported at the time. However, it was unclear whether either of the vehicles were used by the attacker. 

Authorities also have the killer’s voice recorded in a garbled 911 call, and the Tinley Park Police Department is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

MASSACHUSETTS MAN ARRESTED IN 36-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE AFTER SPIT ON SIDEWALK LINKS HIM TO MURDER

LISTEN: Police release 911 audio that contains voice of man who killed 5 in women’s clothing store

“You’re lucky,” the gunman can be heard saying. “I’m losing it.”

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The woman’s voice begging police to “hurry” belonged to the store manager, Rhoda McFarland, 42.

The lone survivor’s identity has not been publicized. Police identified the murder victims as McFarland, of Joliet; Jennifer Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Indiana; Sarah Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Connie Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor; and Carrie Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort.

“There’s something that’s in that timeline that’s off and you, as the investigator, have to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It’s like a ladder without rungs. We have to fill in those spots.”

— Joseph Giacalone, former cold case investigator

Police released a statement on her behalf days after the shooting.

“An unspeakable tragedy occurred, and five of the bravest women I have ever met were senselessly murdered and taken from their families,” she said. “My deepest sympathies and condolences go out to their families and friends. 

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“Please know that during the unfathomable events of that day, their thoughts were focused on you and coming home. My heart aches that they were unable to do so, and I am working with the authorities in any way possible for all of the victims.”

SERIAL KILLINGS PROSECUTOR REVEALS DETAILS OF UNIDENTIFIED VICTIM’S VIOLENT DEATH

Tinley Park Police Cmdr. Pat McCain in the “war room,” an office that houses all the collected evidence in the Lane Bryant case and full-time detectives working on leads Jan. 25, 2013. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Tinley Park Police did not respond to an interview request from Fox News Digital.

The cold case can be cracked with the help of new technology and tips from the public, according to John Kelly, a criminal profiler who has been working on the case through his organization, System to Apprehend Lethal Killers, or STALK Inc., and developed a potential profile.

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“I believe he lives outside the area, in a bigger city,” Kelly told Fox News Digital. “He has some experience about delivering to businesses, thus entering the back door and showing the manager the paperwork, a ruse, for a delivery to get himself inside and look for cameras.

“I believe he was impulsive and desperate for money,” Kelly said. “Probably an addiction of some sort. Could be ganged up.”

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Tinley Park Police Department Sgt. T.J. Grady speaks during a news conference Feb. 4, 2008, about the murders at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, Ill. A gunman killed five women at the store. (Kuni Takahashi/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Despite the planning, he wasn’t an experienced stickup artist, the profiler said. 

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“He was a novice at robbing stores – a major lack of sophistication shows,” he told Fox News Digital. “Why try to rob a store in broad daylight at approximately 10:30 in the morning with no mask?”

That early, cash from the prior day of sales was already deposited, and few new shoppers would have come in to spend.

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“The only cash is to make change and maybe pay out refunds for returns,” Kelly said. “Why rob a place that’s having a sale and there could be a lot of people there? Why kill five people, but he thought he killed six, for a little bit of money and jewelry?”

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The sixth victim, who survived, gave police a suspect description that has now been developed into a 3D composite.

This undated image provided by the Tinley Park Police Department shows the suspect in a shooting that left five women dead at a Lane Bryant clothing store Feb. 2, 2008, in Tinley Park, Ill. (Tinley Park Police Department via AP)

Kelly said the attack on the Lane Bryant store may not have been the suspect’s first homicide and may not have been his last.

“He’s walking in without a mask, so he plans on killing going in,” he said. “[It’s] witness disposal. He thought he killed everyone who he believed could identify him. Probably changed the way he looked the next day.”

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Local police announced last year that they put two new detectives on the cold case, according to FOX 32 Chicago. 

Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that’s the first step to cracking an unsolved mystery.

Mourners gather near the Lane Bryant store at the Brookside Market shopping mall Feb. 4, 2008, in Tinley Park, Ill. A gunman killed five women at the store. (Kuni Takahashi/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“Anything and everything is on the table at this point,” he said. “They’ve got to get back into their lives. Just because it looks like a robbery doesn’t mean it was a robbery. It could’ve been staged. It could’ve been something else. It could’ve been a love triangle. You’ve got to keep an open mind.”

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Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Tinley Park Police Department at 708-444-5394 or email lanebryant.tipline@tinleypark.org.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Illinois

HSHS St. John’s, RMHC open Ronald McDonald House Family Room

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HSHS St. John’s, RMHC open Ronald McDonald House Family Room


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois have teamed up for a new room to help support local families. 

The Ronald McDonald House Family Room will be a centralized space located near the pediatric intensive care unit. 

According to HSHS, the Family Room will have a bathroom with a shower, a refrigerator, a washer, a dryer, a microwave, along with free food items and other snacks. 

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RMHC will operate the Family Room through the partnership. 

“The Ronald McDonald House Family Room offers parents a place to step away for just a moment to rest, enjoy a meal, or simply take a breath, knowing they remain only steps away from their child,” said RMHC of Central Illinois Chief Executive Officer Amber Kaylor in a statement. 

Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.



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Indiana

Local hardware store sees surge in sales of cooling items amid Indiana heat wave

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Local hardware store sees surge in sales of cooling items amid Indiana heat wave


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s a scorcher with temperatures climbing over 90 degrees. One local hardware store says its items are flying off the shelves as customers try to keep themselves cool.

At Fusek’s Hardware in downtown Indy, the excessive heat has brought additional customers.

Steve Fusek has owned the store for more than 20 years. “We kinda knew it was all coming, and as soon as the hot humid weather hits, it has been this constant procession of people keeping themselves cool.”

Lemmecca Polk has come in to get a filter for her AC. “Because it’s hot and they say it’s going to get even hotter.”

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Fusek says they are sold out of many items. “The kid pools are gone already, and the heat is just starting.”

Another hot buy are hoses and sprinklers, and of course, everyone is a fan of fans. “We got a few fans in the apartment, and we’re making sure they’re still plugged in,” said Sydney Maciejewski. “I would like to get those personal fans that I could wear when walking around to stay cool.”

And while the Fusek’s hardware store is great for those items that keep you cool, some customers want to add something a little sweet to the mix. “Popsicles for the kids and also making homemade lemonade,” said Polk.

The local hardware store won’t be in this location for long. Beginning July, they’ll be moving to 609 North Delaware Street, just a few blocks away from the store’s current location.

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Iowa

Iowa City braces for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend

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Iowa City braces for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Law enforcement in Johnson County is preparing for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend as multiple major events converge on the area simultaneously.

The Savannah Bananas are playing to a sold-out Kinnick Stadium crowd Friday and Saturday. A Big and Rich free concert is scheduled in Coralville Friday night. Downtown Iowa City will host Jazz Fest all weekend.

Residents prepare for the crowds

In University Heights — a small city nestled inside Iowa City — resident Maria Scott said she and her husband moved to the corner of Koser and Sunset eight years ago for the quiet.

“Thought it would be a place to land and raise our family,” Scott said.

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During Hawkeye home football games, Scott said, that quiet corner becomes a high-demand parking spot. The family uses their lawn as a parking lot.

“I think we park 35 cars just on this property,” Scott said.

This weekend, the Scott family is preparing for two nights of full capacity on their property.

Police plan for game-day-level crowds

The University Heights Police Department is also preparing. University of Iowa Public Safety posted a message to social media listing the weekend’s events and asking the public to be patient.

University Heights Police Chief Chris Akers said the volume of activity is not typical.

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“Is this normal to have this much going on during a holiday weekend? Absolutely not,” Akers said.

Akers said officers will assist with traffic and crowd control and will also work inside the stadium. He said the department plans to treat the weekend like a game day, with tens of thousands of people in the area over two days.

“When you come in to Iowa City, you come in to Coralville, you come in to University Heights, you come to the University of Iowa — be patient,” Akers said. “Realize that after that game, the stadium holds about 70,000 people and everybody wants to get home.”

Scott said community participation helps make weekends like this work.

“Our kids love it,” Scott said. “They always ask, ‘When do the tailgaters come back?’”

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Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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