Unsolved: The Lane Bryant massacre

Rhoda McFarland (born Rhoda Hamilton) grew up in a loving home in Joliet, Illinois. She had three brothers and a sister. After graduating from high school, she entered the Air Force and served at Andrews Air Force base in Maryland. After completing her active duty tour, she transitioned into the Air Force reserves.

While in her 40s, Rhoda found herself at a crossroads. She was divorced and still trying to figure out what she wanted to do professionally. After serving as an ordained minister at the Embassy Christian Center Church, she left her position after she found herself at odds with the church’s leadership.

Afterward, she accepted an opportunity to manage a woman’s clothing store called Lane Bryant; it caters to plus sized women. Here is an excerpt from the corporate website: “No other brand can say they were started by a woman even before women had the right to vote. And yet, here we stand, as a woman-founded, woman-led brand, 115 years after Lena Bryant started us on this journey.”

Originally, Rhoda only planned to keep the position temporarily. But she eventually became comfortable with her store manager role and stayed longer. She worked at the former location at Tinley Park, Illinois, which is south of Chicago.

On February 2, 2008, it was a wintry day. A 33-year-old nursing student opened the store. Although Rhoda wasn’t scheduled to open, she braved the chilling temperatures to help her employee. Rhoda often came in to help when she wasn’t scheduled.

An unknown gunman pretends to be a deliveryman

The store opened at 10:00 a.m. A few customers had entered the store to shop. Soon after the store opened, a stocky black man with cornrows entered the store. He claimed to be a delivery person. Rhoda became suspicious because she wasn’t expecting a delivery. She even called another store for confirmation.

The unidentified man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Rhoda and her employee. He also made the two customers come to the front. He forced the four women into the rear of the store. After robbing them, he duct-taped them and made them lie on the floor face-down.

Afterward, two other women entered the store. The gunman immediately accosted them at gunpoint. One woman tried to fight back, but the gunman struck her with his gun. He then ordered them into the back with the other women.

Once the gunman had all six women in the rear of the store, he appeared confused and agitated. Perhaps he panicked. Rhoda, wearing a Bluetooth headset, tried to take advantage of the gunman’s confusion. She called 911 and whispered for help.

Six women are executed, but one survives

Once the gunman realized Rhoda had called the police, he became enraged. He shot all six women. Only the store employee survived to tell police what happened. To protect her identity, the police have never released her name.

Other than Rhoda McFarland,42, the other four deceased women were:

• Sarah Szafranski, a 22-year-old recent college graduate.

• Connie Woolfolk, a 37-year-old mother of two.

• Carrie Chiuso, a 33-year-old social worker.

• Jennifer Bishop, a 34-year-old mother and nurse.

Today, the former Tinley Park Lane Bryant store is occupied by a TJ Maxx store. Other than the anniversary date of the killings, the media barely covers this case. There is a considerable reward for anyone willing to provide a tip that will solve this case.

I find it difficult to accept that someone could brutally murder five innocent women and then live as if nothing happened. Do you know who committed these homicides? This case remains open and needs help from the public to catch this killer. Call (708) 444-5394 with your tips or send them by email to: [email protected]