Martha McIllwaine

Do you know who killed 29 year old Martha Lynn McIllwaine in 1999?
Martha Lynn McIllwaine was a family-oriented mother of three who loved to bring people together. Her daughter, Latorya, remembers that the 29-year-old Black woman often hosted cookouts for family and friends in Charlotte, North Carolina. At these gatherings, Martha would playfully embarrass her children by making them perform the latest dance moves for all the guests.

In early April 1999, Martha was reported missing sometime between April 1 and April 6. On April 17, a group of children who were fishing in a pond at the end of Oakwood Drive in Charlotte made a gruesome discovery. They found a body floating in the water and alerted the authorities. Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded and identified the remains as Martha McIllwaine. Her death was ruled a homicide, and one report described her as having been brutally murdered.

Investigators looked into Martha’s killing in the context of a string of murders that occurred across Charlotte in late 1998 and early 1999. The victims in these cases were all Black women of similar ages. However, police were never able to establish a definitive link between the five similar cases, and no arrests were ever made in connection with Martha’s death.

Decades later, Martha’s family is still devastated and searching for answers. "It’s been very hard, she left behind three children," her family said. Latorya, who was only 12 when her mother was killed, has worked to ensure her mother is not forgotten. On the 23rd anniversary of the discovery of her mother's body, Latorya held a balloon release at the pond and felt inspired to do more. She began a petition to rename a portion of Oakwood Drive to "Martha Place," saying, "It will mean that there is something to remember her name and she wont’ be forgotten. And what happened to her won’t be forgotten either."

As of August 2022, Martha McIllwaine's murder remains unsolved. Her daughter has made a public plea for information. "If anyone has any information what happened to my mom, please come forward," Latorya said. "It’s not too late. My family deserves answers."