Documentary on Unsolved Illinois Mass Murder Begins Filming

Nearly 18 years ago, the homey community of Tinley Park, IL was rocked by a despicable murder that left five women dead at a department store. I vividly remember the coverage and ensuing manhunt for the killer. And then, nothing.

The memories of the Lane Bryant shooting in Tinley Park remain vivid in the Chicagoland area, and documentary filmmaker Charlie Minn is looking to commission a film on the famous cold case in hopes of renewing interest and bringing the man responsible to justice.

READ MORE: This Missing Person from Chicago Might Not Even Exist

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A Dark Day in Tinley Park, IL:

On Saturday, February 2nd, 2008, four customers, a part-time employee, and a store manager at Lane Bryant in Tinley Park were taken to the back of the store and shot in an armed robbery. The victims were:

• Jennifer L. Bishop, age 34, of South Bend, IN
• Carrie Hudek Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort, IL
• Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet, IL (the store manager)
• Sarah T. Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest, IL
• Connie R. Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor, IL

The lone survivor played dead and was able to provide police with a composite sketch of the killer. She has never spoken publicly since. Reportedly, per WGN, she is in her fifties, and works as a nurse out of state.

To date, the killer has never been found, and the case has gone cold.

A Documentary on the Murders is in the Works:

Documentarian Charlie Minn — who worked on America's Most Wanted in the 1980s — is working on a documentary called Who Killed These Women: The Tinley Park 5, the subtitle in reference to the five victims in the Lane Bryant shooting. Minn has made a litany of documentaries, including one on the arrest of El Chapo and two separate films covering mass shootings in Parkland, FL and Uvalde, TX.

Minn spoke to WGN about his motive to make a feature-length documentary on the cold case:

Anger fuels me, and this case needs emotion, because that creates a sense of urgency. Right now, this thing is dormant. It has faded [....] One [of the victims] had a 1-year-old baby at the time. Another one had a son that was disabled with a spinal cord issue. Another one, her mom died a year ago not knowing who killed her daughter - Charlie Minn, per WGN

Further Reading on the Lane Bryant Shooting:

With no suspect in custody, let alone a name or information at their disposable, investigators have long been stumped as to what the motive of the crime actually was. The killer posed as a delivery driver, and even struck up conversation with some of the victims before pulling a gun on them, per WGN.

A $100,000 reward is still in play for information leading to an arrest in the long-dormant case.

Who Killed These Women: The Tinley Park 5 is set to be released on February 2nd, 2026, which will mark the 18th anniversary of the tragedy. You can find out more information on the documentary, and submit tips to police on the film's official website.

Take a listen to my interview with director Charlie Minn below: