Overview

🔹 What happened — February 2, 2008

On the morning of February 2, 2008, a man posing as a delivery person entered the Lane Bryant women’s clothing store in the Brookside Marketplace in Tinley Park, Illinois (a Chicago suburb). He forced six women—two employees and four customers—into a back room at gunpoint. He tied their hands and then shot all six. Five women, including Jennifer Lynn “Jeni” Van Bishop, were killed execution-style; one woman survived by playing dead after a bullet grazed her neck.

Detailed Case Breakdown

This is a unique case that consisted of 5 people who tragically lost their lives in a multiple homicide that is still onging:

Other victims (and links to their pages):

Carrie Chiuso
Rhoda McFarland
Connie R Woolfolk
Sarah T Szafranski
Jennifer L Bishop

🔹 What happened — February 2, 2008

On the morning of February 2, 2008, a man posing as a delivery person entered the Lane Bryant women’s clothing store in the Brookside Marketplace in Tinley Park, Illinois (a Chicago suburb). He forced six women—two employees and four customers—into a back room at gunpoint. He tied their hands and then shot all six. Five women, including Jennifer Lynn “Jeni” Van Bishop, were killed execution-style; one woman survived by playing dead after a bullet grazed her neck.

🔹 Jennifer Lynn “Jeni” Van Bishop

– Name: Jennifer Lynn “Jeni” Van Bishop, age 32, of Frankfort, Illinois.
– She was one of the five women murdered in the Lane Bryant shooting.
– Jeni was remembered by family and friends as a caring and vibrant individual with a close-knit circle, loved for her kindness and spirit.
– At the time of the attack, she had stopped in the store for a shopping trip and was looking forward to spending time with loved ones afterward.
– Jeni was engaged to her fiancé, and they had plans to build a life together.

🔹 The Crime

– The shooter tied up the victims, sexually assaulted them, and then shot them in the back of the head.
– He fled the scene before police arrived, and the case quickly became a major investigation in the Chicago area.
– The lone survivor helped police develop a description that was later turned into a composite sketch of the suspect.

🔹 Investigation and Status

– Despite thousands of tips and extensive evidence—including the suspect’s voice recorded on a brief 911 call placed by one of the women inside the store—no suspect has ever been arrested.
– Investigators have released various sketches and 3D composite images of the suspect over the years hoping to generate new leads.
– A reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest, and police continue to treat the case as active.
– The motive remains unclear, though police originally believed it started as an armed robbery that escalated into sexual assault and murder.

🔹 Legacy

Jennifer Lynn “Jeni” Van Bishop and the other four women—Carrie Chiuso, Rhoda McFarland, Connie Woolfolk, and Sarah Szafranski—are remembered annually by their communities. The case remains one of the most notorious unsolved mass murders in the region.

🕵️‍♂️ Additional Info
There is a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.
Authorities have released sketches and an audio snippet of the suspect’s voice from the original 911 call on the Tinley Park police website to help generate new leads.

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Facebook Post:

Someone knows something.
It’s been 18 years since five women were murdered inside a suburban Lane Bryant store. The case remains unsolved.

The victims were Carrie Chiuso, Rhoda McFarland, Connie R. Woolfolk, Sarah T. Szafranski, and Jennifer L. Bishop.

February 2nd, 2008, Tinley Park Lane Bryant Crime Scene- Photo Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune