In the community of Zion, Illinois, the life of 28-year-old Cory J. Rhinehart, an Army veteran working as a dietary aide at a nursing home, took a dark and mysterious turn. On the morning of March 15, 2019, his family saw him as he left for work, dressed in black hospital scrubs, a black pea coat, and black Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers. This ordinary departure would be the last time his loved ones saw him. Concern mounted when Cory, a man described as reliable by his family, failed to show up for work for several days and his cell phone was turned off, which was highly unusual for him. His family officially reported him missing on March 18, three days after he was last seen.
The investigation into Cory's disappearance quickly uncovered alarming evidence. On the evening he went missing, a 911 call was made from his cell phone around 8 p.m. from an apartment in the 2100 block of Gabriel Avenue. The call was brief, with the line going dead before a conversation could take place. When police traced the call and arrived at the apartment, they found it empty. However, a disturbing scene awaited them: human blood was present on the floor, walls, and door. The apartment was designated a crime scene, and the blood was sent for lab testing. Since that night, there has been a complete halt to all of Cory's phone, banking, and social media activities, deepening the fears of his family and investigators.
As the days turned into weeks with no sign of Cory, the Zion Police Department, with assistance from the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, intensified their investigation into what was now being treated as an endangered missing person case with suspected foul play. The family, holding onto hope, organized searches and a candlelight vigil. A significant development came in May 2019, when authorities arrested a 57-year-old Zion man, Vincent C. Bevly, and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with Cory's disappearance and presumed death. Investigators believe he was killed the day he went missing. Despite this arrest and the ongoing legal proceedings, Cory Rhinehart's body has never been recovered. The case remains a painful mystery for his family and community, a narrative that began with a man leaving for work and ended with a silent 911 call from a blood-stained room, leaving behind unanswered questions and the enduring pain of loss.
Last Seen: Mar 15, 2019
