Sherry Gordon, a 12-year-old girl from Decatur, Illinois, tragically lost her life on Halloween night in 1984. She had gone trick-or-treating with her younger cousin, Theresa Hall, age 9, and later with Theresa’s 7-year-old sister, Patricia. The three girls never returned home. Their disappearance led to an intense search effort, and two days later, on November 2, the bodies of Sherry and Theresa were discovered in a vacant apartment within the Longview Housing Project.
Patricia was found alive in a closet, cold but unharmed.
Authorities determined that Sherry and Theresa had been strangled, one with a piece of clothing and the other with an electrical cord. Investigators initially pursued leads, including reports of an older man driving a rusty, four-door Oldsmobile, but that lead was later dismissed. The case remained unsolved for decades, haunting the community and leaving families without answers.
In 2009, advancements in forensic technology finally provided a breakthrough. DNA testing linked the crime to Melvin Johnson, a man who had died of stomach cancer in Texas in October 2003. Johnson had a history of crimes against children, including a conviction in 1978 for taking indecent liberties with a child, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison. At the time of Sherry and Theresa’s murders, Johnson was living in Decatur. DNA evidence taken from Sherry’s clothing matched Johnson’s profile in a national database, confirming his involvement in the crime.
Although Johnson was never brought to justice during his lifetime, the revelation of his identity provided a sense of closure to the families and the community. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving forensic evidence and continuing investigations, even decades after a crime has occurred.
