Chicago Strangler
Unidentified American serial killer(s)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chicago Strangler is a theorized serial killer, or serial killers, believed to be responsible for the deaths of a number of women in Chicago.[1]
Chicago Strangler | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Victims | 51–76 |
Span of crimes | 2001–2018 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
Connection of crimes
Since 2001, at least 51 women aged 18 to 58 have been killed by strangulation or asphyxiation in Chicago, with many cases remaining unsolved.[2] The victims were predominantly Black, typically employed as sex workers, and often had previous experiences with the justice system. Nearly all were strangled, partially or fully stripped, and then left in abandoned buildings, alleys, garbage bins, parks or snowdrifts. 25 additional cases were closed by police, resulting in the arrest of 13 men.[3][4]
Several of the strangulations were committed in just three police districts located on the South and West sides of Chicago: areas with histories of violent crime and drug use such as Washington Park and Garfield Park have been common locations for these murders to occur.[5] This pattern was recognized in 2018 through the Murder Accountability Project (MAP), which reviewed 51 unsolved strangulation and asphyxiation cases dating as far back as 2001.[6] The algorithm used by MAP sorts unsolved homicides by location, victim and killing method in order to identify clusters associated with low homicide clearance rates. According to MAP, these factors could be indicative of an active serial killer.[3]
Police response
Following pressure from activists, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) announced the review of 51 unsolved murders of women. The CPD have said that there was no evidence that a serial killer was responsible for any of the 51 killings.[1]
Victims
Below is a list of the 51 unsolved strangulations of women in Chicago committed between 2001 and 2018, compiled by the Murder Accountability Project through FBI data and news sources.[7]
| Date discovered | Victim's name | Age | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 4, 2001 | Angela Ford | 32 | Black |
| March 28, 2001 | Charlotte Day | 42 | Black |
| August 2, 2001 | Winifred Shines | 33 | Black |
| August 22, 2001 | Brenda Cowart | 52 | Black |
| November 5, 2001 | Elaine Boneta | 41 | White |
| December 8, 2001 | Saudia Banks | 39 | Black |
| February 16, 2002 | Bessie Scott | 43 | Black |
| June 12, 2002 | Gwendolyn Williams | 44 | Black |
| August 14, 2002 | Jody Grissom | 20 | White |
| August 25, 2002 | Loraine Harris | 36 | White |
| September 7, 2002 | Dellie Jones | 33 | Black |
| December 20, 2002 | Celeste Jackson | 37 | Black |
| March 19, 2003 | Nancy Walker | 55 | Black |
| May 20, 2003 | Linda Green | 42 | Black |
| May 20, 2003 | Tarika Jones | 30 | Black |
| August 14, 2003 | Rosenda Barocio | 20 | White |
| August 16, 2003 | LaTonya Keeler | 29 | Black |
| October 15, 2003 | Latricia Hall | 21 | Black |
| October 15, 2003 | Lucyset Thomas | 38 | Black |
| December 26, 2003 | Ethel Amerson | 36 | Black |
| July 15, 2004 | Michelle Davenport | 40 | Black |
| October 16, 2004 | Tamala Edwards | 37 | Black |
| November 5, 2004 | Makalavah Williams | 18 | Black |
| January 13, 2005 | Precious Smith | 23 | Black |
| February 1, 2005 | Denise Torres | 35 | White |
| August 30, 2005 | Wanda Hall | 33 | Black |
| December 25, 2005 | Yvette Mason | 35 | Black |
| December 30, 2005 | Shaniqua Williams | 40 | Black |
| January 12, 2006 | Margaret Gomez | 22 | White |
| July 14, 2006 | Antoinette Simmons | 21 | Black |
| September 24, 2006 | Kelly Sarff | 34 | White |
| March 25, 2007 | Veronica Fraizer | 46 | Black |
| May 2, 2007 | Mary Ann Szatkowski | 56 | White |
| November 13, 2007 | Theresa Bunn | 21 | Black |
| November 14, 2007 | Hazel Lewis | 52 | Black |
| October 9, 2008 | Genevieve Mellas | 32 | White |
| June 13, 2009 | Charlene Miller | 54 | Black |
| July 5, 2009 | LaToya Banks | 29 | Black |
| August 6, 2009 | Shannon Williams | 36 | Black |
| December 9, 2009 | Vanessa Rajokovich | 32 | White |
| June 25, 2010 | Lafonda Wilson | 43 | Black |
| July 16, 2010 | Quanda Crider | 37 | Black |
| August 28, 2011 | Angela Profit | 46 | Black |
| August 9, 2012 | Pamela Wilson | 30 | Black |
| February 21, 2014 | Velma Howard | 50 | Black |
| March 3, 2017 | Diamond Turner | 21 | Black |
| June 22, 2017 | Catherine Saterfield-Buchanan | 58 | Black |
| March 17, 2018 | Valerie Jackson | 49 | Black |
| May 25, 2018 | Lora Harbin | 44 | White |
| June 12, 2018 | Nicole Ridge | 47 | White |
| September 10, 2018 | Reo Holyfield | 34 | Black |
Convictions
In 2020, a man named Arthur Hilliard was charged with the murder of 21-year-old Diamond Turner after his DNA linked him to the crime. He was convicted of her homicide in December 2025, and is currently awaiting sentencing.[8] He was also convicted of concealing a body in an unrelated 2018 murder, and is a suspect in yet another murder with which he is yet to be charged.[9]