Police Release New 3-D Sketch, 911 Audio Of Suspect In Lane Bryant Murders
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ten years after five women were brutally slain inside the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, police have released a new image of the suspect and enhanced audio of a 911 call in hopes of finally solving the case.
Tinley Park Police Chief Steve Neubauer said a new 3-D modeled image of the suspect was released on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the slayings on purpose, because he knows people have the most interest in the cold case this time of year.
The new image of the suspect has been hung inside the Tinley Park police station, and was created based on the original eyewitness account of the suspect in 2008. Authorities used facial identification technology to make the original sketches of the suspect more lifelike.
"Time goes by, but we've worked on it steadily for 10 years; continue to work on it. There's five women that need us to clear this up," Neubauer said.
On Feb. 2, 2008, the gunman entered the Lane Bryant store at 191st and Harlem and announced a robbery. He took the store manager, an employee, and four customers to the back, and shot them all.
Store manager Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet; Connie Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor; Sarah Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Carrie Hudek Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort; and Jennifer Bishop, 34, of South Bend, were all killed. A sixth woman was also shot and wounded.
The killer quickly escaped.
The lone survivor described the killer as African-American, 25 to 35 years old, about 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, and well-groomed down to his manicured fingernails. His hair was done up in corn rows with one single braid hanging from the right side adorned with four green beads.
Sketches were released, and a $100,000 reward was offered, but the case remains unsolved.
One of the victims called 911 during the robbery, and police released a snippet of that call years ago. Police said the suspect's voice can be heard in the background of that call. Detectives have since isolated the suspect's voice, but his words remain unintelligible.
Neubauer said, ten years after the slayings, detectives still get one or two tips a week. They hope the enhanced sketch and audio give them even more leads.
A special prayer service for the 10th anniversary of the murders has been scheduled for noon on Friday.
The store where the victims were killed never reopened, and was replaced with a T.J. Maxx in 2013.
