Barbara Dunbar, a 38-year-old woman, was one of four victims in a brutal attack that took place on August 20, 1983, at the Greenware by Mary ceramic shop in Joliet, Illinois. The crime was part of a larger series of murders committed by Milton Johnson, a serial killer who terrorized the Joliet area during the summer of 1983.
On that fateful day, Dunbar, along with Marilyn Baers Anna Ryan and Pamela Ryan was inside the ceramic shop when Johnson carried out his attack.
The victims were tied up and stabbed a total of 43 times, with Anna Ryan also suffering a gunshot wound to the neck. The crime scene was described as horrific, with a significant amount of blood covering the floor in the back kiln area of the shop.
Milton Johnson had a violent history, having previously been incarcerated for rape and torture before being released in March 1983. His killing spree included multiple murders across Joliet and surrounding areas, culminating in the ceramic shop massacre. Within weeks of the attack, Illinois State Police questioned Johnson about his whereabouts and his potential involvement in the crime wave.
Johnson was eventually arrested in March 1984 for the murder of Anthony Hackett, another victim of his spree. During his trial, prosecutors described Johnson as an 'animal' due to the brutality of his crimes. He was convicted and sentenced to death, though his sentence was later commuted to life in prison after Illinois abolished the death penalty.
The ceramic shop murders remain one of the most chilling crimes in Joliet's history, marking the end of Johnson's reign of terror in the area.
