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Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP70147) and 8 other sources
In the spring of 2020, 62-year-old Matthew William Penn disappeared, leaving behind a series of conflicting timelines and unanswered questions. One account states he was last seen on May 3, 2020, at a Mariano's grocery store located at 3358 West Touhy Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. At the time, he was wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans, and a black or brown leather jacket. Other reports, however, place his last known location in Chicago on March 7, 2020, in the 2200 block of West Rosemont Avenue, where he was living. This discrepancy in dates and locations has created a challenging puzzle for investigators from the Chicago Police Department. What is known is that after his last sighting, Matthew has not been seen or heard from again.

Matthew is described as a white male, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing between 190 and 195 pounds. He has brown hair that is balding on top, brown eyes, and a goatee and mustache. A distinctive feature is a large tattoo of a compass located between his shoulder blades. At the time of his disappearance, he was known to be driving a black Nissan Altima with a red leather interior and an Illinois license plate number of HBJ 59. Several months after he went missing, this vehicle was found unoccupied in the 7000 block of North Ridge Boulevard in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, not far from his apartment. An inspection of the car by police reportedly showed no signs of criminal activity.

The investigation into Matthew's disappearance has been handled by the Chicago Police Department's Area North detectives. Despite their efforts and the registration of his case in national missing persons databases like NamUs, very little information has surfaced regarding the circumstances of his vanishing. The lack of activity on his financial accounts and the absence of communication with friends or family have only added to the mystery surrounding his case. With few leads to follow, the case of Matthew Penn's disappearance has grown cold over time, leaving his loved ones and the community still searching for answers. The Chicago Police Department continues to ask that anyone with information contact them at 744-8266, referencing case number JD239311.

Last Seen: May 3, 2020

Possible Unidentified Matches (3)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

77%Possible
John Doe — Palos Heights, Illinois
UP89918 • Found Feb 27, 2022
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 40–60 vs 62 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 96%25 mi away, same county
TimingFound 22 months after last seen
Height 75%5'6"–6'2" vs 5'10"
76%Possible
John Doe — Waukegan, Illinois - unidentified case UP163526
John Doe — Waukegan, Illinois
UP163526 • Found Apr 8, 2026
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 50–65 vs 62 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 96%24 mi away, same state
TimingFound 6 years after last seen
Height 68%5'7" vs 5'10"
Weight 79%151 lb vs 190–195 lb
Hair 40%Gray vs Brown
Eyes 0%Blue vs Brown
75%Possible
John Doe — Chicago, Illinois
UP97269 • Found Aug 23, 2022
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 87%Est. 45–60 vs 62 when missing
Race 60%Hispanic
Location 100%10 mi away, same county
TimingFound 2 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6"–5'10" vs 5'10"
Weight 53%130 lb vs 190–195 lb

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.