On the morning of February 2, 2008, a gunman entered a Lane Bryant clothing store in Tinley Park, Illinois, during business hours. He forced six women—store staff and customers—into a back room, restrained them, and then shot them at close range. Five women were killed: store manager **Rhoda McFarland (42)** and customers **Connie Woolfolk (37), Jennifer Bishop (34), Carrie Hudek Chiuso (33),** and **Sarah Szafranski (22)**; a sixth woman survived despite being shot. Investigators described the killer as an unidentified man who appeared to be committing a robbery but escalated to an execution-style attack; authorities have also said at least one victim was sexually assaulted. Despite a major investigation, a released suspect sketch, and continued public appeals—including renewed attention around the 18th anniversary—the case remains unsolved and a reward has remained available for information leading to an arrest.

Christopher James Hoye, a 33-year-old father and resident of Dixon, Missouri, was last seen on May 19, 2022. On that day, he suddenly disappeared without taking any of his personal belongings, including his phone, computer, and wallet. Christopher left home in his truck, and when he didn't return, his wife, Alysha, found the vehicle near the Veterans Bridge by the Gasconade River, with the keys still inside. Despite extensive searches by law enforcement and volunteers, including a dive team in the river, no trace of Christopher has been found.

Christopher had recently moved to Missouri with his wife and their blended family to pursue a simpler life on a farm. There were no signs of foul play, but the circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear. His family has expressed concerns about the unusual nature of his vanishing and continue to hope for answers. The case remains open, and authorities urge anyone with information to come forward.Script by Ben Jenum

Joseph Force Crater, a 41-year-old New York State Supreme Court Justice, vanished on the evening of August 6, 1930, in Manhattan, creating one of the most baffling missing person cases of the 20th century. Appointed by then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, Crater's ascension to the bench was believed by many to be a result of his connections to New York's powerful and corrupt Tammany Hall political machine. His life was marked by a scandalous history, including numerous affairs and questionable financial dealings that came into focus after he went missing. In April 1930, around the time of his appointment, Crater withdrew $20,000, a sum close to his annual salary and considered a standard payment for Tammany Hall positions. This money was reportedly used in a real estate transaction involving a bankrupt hotel that was later sold to the city for a vastly inflated price for a street-widening project.In the summer of 1930, Crater was vacationing with his wife, Stella Mance Wheeler, at their home in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. In late July, he received a phone call and told his wife he needed to go to New York City "to straighten those fellows out." He returned to Maine briefly before traveling back to New York on August 3, promising his wife he would be back for her birthday on August 9. On the morning of August 6, Crater spent two hours in his courthouse chambers, destroyed several documents, and had his law clerk cash checks amounting to $5,150. He and his assistant then carried two locked briefcases to his Fifth Avenue apartment. That evening, after purchasing a single ticket for the Broadway show "Dancing Partner," Crater had dinner at Billy Haas's Chophouse on West 45th Street with his girlfriend, showgirl Sally Lou Ritz, and a lawyer friend, William Klein. His companions initially told police they saw him get into a taxi around 9:15 p.m., though they later changed their story, stating they were the ones who took the cab, leaving Crater standing on the street. He was never seen again.It was not until Crater failed to appear for the opening of the courts on August 25 that an official investigation was launched. Initially, his wife and colleagues assumed he was with the other. When police searched his apartment, they found his cherished monogrammed watch, pen, and card case on his dresser. His safe deposit box was discovered to be empty, and the two briefcases he had taken to his apartment were missing. The investigation was quickly inundated with thousands of false sightings from across the country. A grand jury was convened in October 1930, hearing from 95 witnesses, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine if Crater was alive or dead. In January 1931, a significant discovery was made when Stella Crater, having moved back into the apartment, found four envelopes in a dresser drawer that police had previously searched. The envelopes contained over $6,000 in cash, checks, three life insurance policies totaling $30,000, Crater's will, and a cryptic, handwritten note that read "Am very weary" or "I'm very sorry" and included a list of people who owed him money.Over the years, numerous theories about Crater's fate emerged. Some believed he was murdered by organized crime figures due to his corrupt dealings, while others speculated he willingly disappeared to start a new life with another woman. The disappearance fueled public concern about political corruption and contributed to the decline of Tammany Hall. In 1939, Joseph Force Crater was declared legally dead. The case took a dramatic turn in 2005 with the death of a 91-year-old woman named Stella Ferrucci-Good. A letter found among her possessions, marked "Do not open until my death," claimed that her late husband, an NYPD detective, had learned that Crater was murdered by a police officer, Charles Burns and Burns's cab driver brother.

In the waning days of 2023, a family feud in Detroit escalated to a tragic and fatal conclusion, claiming the life of 22-year-old Jackquline Denise Joseph. On the evening of December 28th, on the 8000 block of Indiana Street, what began as a dispute among relatives turned violent. Jackquline, who was reportedly recording the altercation with her cellphone, was shot and killed. She was unarmed, her life cut short in an instant of gunfire.In the aftermath of the shooting, Jackquline's father, Claude Joseph, has been vocal about his grief and frustration with the pace of the investigation. He has stated that there is video evidence of the incident that shows his daughter being shot by a family member. Despite this, months have passed without an arrest, leaving the family in a state of agonizing uncertainty. The pain of losing his daughter is compounded by the feeling that justice is being delayed.The Detroit Police Department has acknowledged the ongoing investigation, stating that homicide cases are complex and require thorough coordination with the prosecutor's office. While they have not publicly named a suspect, the narrative provided by Jackquline's father strongly suggests the involvement of a relative. The case remains open, and a family is left to grapple with a profound loss and the hope that accountability will one day be served.

In the early morning hours of Monday, July 28, 2025, a tragic event unfolded in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx that claimed the life of 22-year-old Gabriel Alvarez. The male victim had recently moved to the Bronx from Stratford, Connecticut, and was working at a health clinic. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. in the vicinity of 500 Brush Avenue, near the entrance to Ferry Point Park. Police responded to a 911 call reporting that two individuals had been shot. Upon their arrival, they discovered Alvarez with gunshot wounds to his armpit and shoulder.Alongside Gabriel Alvarez, another man, Adam Waldropt, was also found at the scene with gunshot wounds. Both men were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in critical condition, but tragically, they both succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead. The initial investigation suggested that the shooting may have been connected to a car meetup that was taking place in the area just before the shots were fired. Investigators at the scene recovered thirteen shell casings and five live rounds, indicating the intensity of the violence that had transpired.In the immediate aftermath, the New York Police Department began a search for two suspects who were seen fleeing the scene on a moped, their faces obscured by ski masks. As the investigation progressed, the police released images of seven individuals they were seeking in connection with the double homicide. This group consisted of six males and one female who were reportedly in a black 2012 Nissan Sentra. Descriptions of the wanted individuals were circulated to the public in an appeal for information.

Pepita Redhair, a 27-year-old Native American woman from the Navajo Nation, was last seen on March 27, 2020, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had been dropped off by her mother, Anita King, at her boyfriend's house on Clements Street. Pepita had previously shared concerns with her mother about her boyfriend's excessive drinking and instances of domestic violence, but assured her everything would be fine. After this visit, Pepita went out drinking with her boyfriend and another man, but after an argument, she reportedly left the residence on foot and was never heard from again.Her mother became worried when Pepita did not respond to calls or messages over the next few days, which was unusual for her. On March 28, after receiving a strange message from someone claiming to have bought Pepita’s phone, her mother filed a missing persons report with the Albuquerque Police Department. Unfortunately, there were delays in the investigation, partly due to jurisdictional issues and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The case was further complicated by the pandemic lockdowns, which hindered in-person interviews and follow-ups.Pepita's family has since been actively involved in raising awareness about her disappearance, participating in rallies and advocating for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Despite these efforts, no significant leads have emerged, and her case remains unsolved. Her family continues to hope for her safe return.Script by Ben Jenum

On the morning of December 17, 2021, Dawn Peterson was killed outside her home in South Jamaica, Queens, after stepping out just before dawn to start her car and head to work. She was found on the street near her address on Foch Boulevard, badly wounded, and rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.Investigators quickly focused on what nearby cameras captured: a lone figure in dark clothing closing in as Peterson stood by her vehicle. In the footage described by police and local reporting, the gunman raises a firearm and fires repeatedly, striking her in the chest and back and continuing even after she falls to the roadway. Crime scene investigators recovered evidence at the location, including seven shell casings, and authorities reported that the shooter ultimately got away in a silver sedan after the attack.Inside the house, her mother, Janifer Taylor, was jolted awake by gunfire and ran to the window, recognizing the shape in the street before the morning had fully broken. Friends and neighbors gathered in grief as word spread through the block, and the killing drew an immediate response from homicide detectives, with the Queens District Attorney appearing at the scene as the investigation began.

In the quiet moments of a May evening in Lynchburg, Virginia, six-year-old Kingston 'Kingster' Campbell was immersed in the world of video games from the comfort of his bed. It was May 1, 2023, a night that would irrevocably shatter the peace of his family and community. In an act of senseless violence, multiple gunshots were fired into his home on Floyd Street. One of those bullets struck the young boy, ending his life as he played.

Gretchen Eve Fleming was 27 when she disappeared from the Parkersburg, West Virginia area. Public information from law enforcement and reporting indicates she was last seen in the early-morning hours after leaving My Way Lounge in downtown Parkersburg, and she has not been heard from since. Authorities and family members have continued to seek information, and the case remains an active missing-person investigation.Investigators have said Fleming left the My Way Lounge in the company of a man later identified in multiple reports as Preston Pierce. Police and the FBI have publicly described him as a person of interest, while also stating he has not been charged in connection with Fleming’s disappearance. Reporting indicates Pierce acknowledged Fleming had been in his vehicle that night but did not provide additional details to investigators.One detail that has heightened concern from the outset is that Fleming’s personal items were left behind. Authorities have repeatedly noted that her purse and phone were found at the bar, and she did not return to retrieve them. In the days that followed her last confirmed sighting, there was no documented contact with loved ones, and no verified activity suggesting she voluntarily left her life behind.

Mercedes Clement, a 25-year-old woman described as biracial with Asian and Hispanic heritage, vanished from Dallas, Texas, on October 11, 2020, after what looked at first like an ordinary stop at the Koko Apartment Complex off Harry Hines Boulevard. Security video captured her walking across the property with a man and going into an apartment, a final ordinary-looking moment that would become the last confirmed sighting of her alive.That night, people close to her later said her voice carried fear. She called friends, telling at least one of them she felt scared and needed a ride back to her car, and then the calls ended. By the next day, her family's worry turned into alarm when a notice arrived saying her car had been towed; when her mother went to retrieve it, key personal belongings were still inside, including the same purse investigators later noted she appeared to be carrying in the surveillance footage.