In February 2019, 36-year-old Jessica Flores, a mother of six from South Chicago Heights, Illinois, vanished after a night out. She was last seen in Gary, Indiana, on February 24, 2019. Concern grew when the car she had been driving, which belonged to her boyfriend, was discovered abandoned and burned in a Chicago alley. Inside the vehicle, investigators found a significant amount of blood and some of her personal belongings.
A friend who was with her on the night she disappeared was also reported missing but was found alive a short time later.
The search for Jessica came to a grim end in April 2020, over a year after she disappeared, when a city worker in Gary discovered a human skull in a wooded area. Further investigation of the scene by authorities, with the assistance of a cadaver dog, led to the recovery of more skeletal remains. Dental records confirmed the remains belonged to Jessica Flores. An autopsy revealed that she had been fatally shot.
Suspicion quickly fell upon her ex-boyfriend, Drew 'Tiny' Carter III. A witness came forward alleging that Carter had shot Flores in the backseat of a car. In March 2019, even before her body was found, Carter was arrested and charged with her murder. The legal journey to justice for Jessica's family proved to be a long and arduous one. The initial murder charges against Carter were dismissed in September 2019, pending further analysis of evidence, though he remained in custody on a separate weapons charge.
The murder charges were refiled against Carter in October 2022. However, due to a state law requiring a speedy trial, he was released on his own recognizance in January 2023, a move that caused significant distress to Jessica's family. Despite this setback, the case finally went to trial. In June 2024, Drew Carter III was convicted of the murder and kidnapping of Jessica Flores. In October 2024, he was sentenced to 101 years in prison for his crimes. Throughout the proceedings, Carter has maintained his innocence and has stated his intention to appeal the conviction.
