Rae Ann Schneider, a 20-year-old white female from Rockford, Illinois, disappeared on December 22, 1972, in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Known affectionately as “Birdie,” she had moved to the college town in August of that year to start a new chapter in her life. Rae Ann had graduated from Harlem High School in 1971 and struggled with epilepsy, which made her shy and hesitant to form close relationships. Seeking independence, she found an apartment with roommates and began working as a waitress at a Steak and Shake restaurant.
On the evening of December 22, 1972, Rae Ann Schneider, a 20-year-old white female, left her job and was last seen walking home. Her roommates became concerned when she failed to return and contacted her sister. Rae Ann’s absence was especially alarming because she relied on seizure medication and was not known to socialize extensively. Despite initial delays typical of missing person investigations at the time, police began searching for her, led by Lt. Kenneth Morgan of the Normal Police Department. Her family offered a reward for information, but months passed without answers.
The case remained unsolved until August 1973, when authorities arrested Jesse Donald Sumner, a Stanford, Illinois resident, after he assaulted his third wife. During the investigation, Sumner’s wife revealed his involvement in multiple disappearances. Sumner confessed to murdering Rae Ann Schneider, a 20-year-old white female, and led police to her body, which he had buried beneath the dirt floor of his garage. She had been bludgeoned in the head with a blunt object. Her Harlem High School class ring helped confirm her identity.
Sumner was also linked to the murders of two other young women: 20-year-old Marie Burchie, a student at Illinois State University, and 18-year-old Dawn Marie Huwe. He was convicted of Burchie’s murder and sentenced to 50 to 100 years in prison. In October 1974, Sumner pleaded guilty to the murders of Rae Ann Schneider and Dawn Huwe. Circuit Judge Calvin Stone sentenced him to an additional 100 to 200 years, stating that Sumner’s crimes were “cruel, bizarre, unmerciful, despicable.” Sumner died in Joliet Prison in 2005 at the age of 68.
Rae Ann Schneider, a 20-year-old white female from Rockford, Illinois, was laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Her parents, Clemens and Alice Mae Schneider, were later buried nearby. Her tragic death remains a haunting chapter in Illinois history.
