A cold winter morning turned into a scene of unimaginable horror on Saturday, February 2, 2008, in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, Illinois. Inside a Lane Bryant clothing store in the Brookside Marketplace shopping center, a routine day of commerce ended in a brutal, execution-style attack that claimed the lives of five women and remains a haunting, unsolved crime. The victims were store manager Rhoda McFarland, 42, and four customers: Connie Woolfolk, 37; Carrie Hudon, 33; Jennifer Bishop-Jobin, 34; and Sara Szafranski, 22.
The gunman entered the store around 10:44 a.m., posing as a delivery driver. He was described by the lone survivor as a Black male, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall with a husky build, weighing 200 to 220 pounds. He had a mustache and wore a dark Carhartt-style jacket, jeans, and a dark knit cap. After announcing a robbery, he forced the six women—the manager, an employee, and the four shoppers—into a back room.
He bound them with duct tape before opening fire with a.40-caliber Glock handgun.
In a final act of courage, store manager Rhoda McFarland managed to dial 911 on her cell phone, leaving the line open. The chilling audio recording captured a muffled conversation in which the gunman is heard telling the women to get on the floor before shots are fired. He took a small amount of cash, less than $500, from the register and fled. When police arrived minutes later, they found a scene of devastation. Five of the women were deceased. A sixth, a 21-year-old store employee, was shot in the chest and neck but survived by feigning death. She was able to provide investigators with the crucial description of the killer.
The investigation was immediately launched by the Tinley Park Police Department, quickly joined by the South Suburban Major Crime Task Force and the FBI. The case drew national attention, and thousands of tips poured in. Investigators released a composite sketch of the suspect based on the survivor's description, which was later updated with a more life-like, computer-generated image. DNA evidence was also recovered from the scene, but it has not yet led to a match in law enforcement databases.
Over the years, the case has never been closed. Detectives have continued to work the investigation, re-examining evidence with advancements in forensic technology. In February 2026, Tinley Park Police Chief Tom Tilton affirmed the department's commitment, stating, "This investigation has never stopped. Our detectives and partners continue to evaluate leads, review evidence, and apply available investigative and forensic tools as they evolve." A multi-agency task force remains dedicated to solving the murders.
The families of the victims have endured years of unanswered questions and grief. Melvin Woolfolk, the father of Connie Woolfolk, spoke out publicly for the first time in March 2026, urging the FBI to take the lead on the case. "Somebody knows somebody that knows somebody," said his wife, Annette Woolfolk, expressing the family's belief that someone holds the key to breaking the case. Family members and community activists have called for renewed forensic testing on items like duct tape and material that may have been under Connie's fingernails, hoping modern science can reveal what was previously undetectable.
As of March 2026, the killer remains at large. The investigation is active and ongoing, with authorities re-testing evidence and hoping for new leads. A reward of up to $200,000 has been offered for information that leads to an arrest. Police continue to ask the public for help and have made the audio of the 911 call, including the suspect's voice, available in the hope that someone might recognize it. Anyone with information is urged to call the Tinley Park Police tip line at 708-444-5394 or email [email protected].
