In the late summer of 2010, a young woman named Mariah Edwards vanished from Blue Island, Illinois. At the time of her disappearance on September 28, 2010, she was 18 years old. Standing at 5 feet 2 inches and weighing 100 pounds, Mariah had black hair and brown eyes. When she was last seen, she was reportedly wearing a black sports bra. The circumstances surrounding her initial disappearance were not widely publicized, leaving her family and community with many unanswered questions. The case was officially reported to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office on January 27, 2011.
The investigation into Mariah's disappearance took a dark turn when authorities began looking into a man named Sonny Pierce in connection with a separate crime. During a search of his residence, investigators discovered a deeply disturbing videotape. This video depicted Pierce engaged in sexual acts with a young woman who appeared to be lifeless; authorities identified the woman as Mariah Edwards. This discovery led investigators to believe that Mariah had been the victim of a homicide. Further investigation revealed that Pierce was a suspect in the murders of two other young women, 18-year-old Kiara Windom and 18-year-old Kimika Coleman, whose bodies were found in 2009.
In April 2011, Sonny Pierce was charged with the murders of Mariah Edwards, Kiara Windom, and Kimika Coleman. Prosecutors alleged that Pierce had told police he invited Mariah to his home, where he and other men sexually assaulted and beat her to death before disposing of her body in a garbage bag. Despite this initial statement to police, Pierce later denied any involvement in the murders. The charges related to the deaths of Mariah Edwards and Kimika Coleman were eventually dropped, though Pierce remained a key figure in the investigation. To this day, Mariah Edwards' body has never been recovered, and her case remains a painful and unresolved tragedy for her loved ones. The chilling evidence found by investigators paints a grim picture of her final moments, yet the lack of a recovery has left a void of unanswered questions and a longing for closure.
Last Seen: Sep 28, 2010
