On December 28, 1956, sisters Barbara Grimes, 15, and Patricia Grimes, 12, left their home to go see Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” at the Brighton Theater in Chicago. When they didn’t arrive home by midnight, their mother alerted the authorities. Police officers and hundreds of volunteers searched for them for days, but the weather was brutal and searches eventually came to a halt. On January 22, 1957, the girls’ bodies were found in a ditch along the side of a road in Willow Springs, IL. Both bodies showed signs of trauma including marks, bruises, and puncture wounds to the chest.

There have been some suspects over the years but there has never been enough evidence to definitively link anyone to the murders. This year will mark 70 years since the girls disappeared and police are no closer to finding their killer than they were in 1956. Did four young boys assault them and throw them out in the cold? Was it a stablehand who admitted to killing three young boys the year before? Or the dishwasher who admitted to the murders after being interrogated for hours?

Follow along as Hannah and Lainey theorize and discuss the upcoming winter Olympics, horse girls, and romanticizing winter.  

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of homicide and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

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Sources:

CBS Chicago. (2018, January 22). 2 Investigators: Revisiting the 1956 murder of the Grimes sisters [TV broadcast]. 2 Investigators. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq-q6AsSEHI

Dickerson, D. (2025, October 19). The murder of the Grimes sisters. True Crime Stories Blog. https://truecrimestoryblog.com/blog/f/the-murder-of-the-grimes-sisters

Eddy, C. (2015, September 2). The hideous Chicago triple child murder that was finally solved…after 40 years. Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/the-hideous-chicago-triple-child-murder-that-was-finall-1728039519 

Frankie, C.M. (2025, August 22). The unsolved murders of sisters Barbara and Patricia Grimes. A&E TV. https://www.aetv.com/articles/murders-of-barbara-and-patricia-grimes

Groenke, M. (1995, September 13). Hansen found guilty of 1955 killings. UPI Archives. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/09/13/Hansen-found-guilty-of-1955-killings/7831810964800/

Legal Clarity Illinois. (2025, August 5). Who killed the Grimes sisters? An unsolved mystery. Legal Clarity. https://legalclarity.org/who-killed-the-grimes-sisters-an-unsolved-mystery/

Scott, E. (2024, December 31). Episode 110: Chicago’s unsolved tragedy: The Grimes sisters. Historical True Crime. https://www.historicaltruecrime.com/post/episode-110-chicago-s-unsolved-tragedy-the-grimes-sisters

WGN News. (2022, November 14). Grimes sisters’ killings blamed for Chicago’s loss of innocence [TV broadcast]. Innocence Lost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhaptd2v5bw&list=PL_QYyuSSJj28Z6pM3Uc0hACT2ghQBnHlZ&index=1

WGN News. (2022, November 15). Did investigators overlook a crucial lead in the Grimes sisters’ murders? [TV broadcast]. Innocence Lost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoLOjBEarKY&list=PL_QYyuSSJj28Z6pM3Uc0hACT2ghQBnHlZ&index=2

WGN News. (2022, November 16). Will detective’s discovery help solve Grimes murders? [TV broadcast]. Innocence Lost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHk3Uo8zQho&list=PL_QYyuSSJj28Z6pM3Uc0hACT2ghQBnHlZ&index=3

Wikipedia. Murder of the Grimes sisters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_the_Grimes_sisters