Chicago Strangler


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.

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. 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.
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. This pattern was recognized in 2018 through the Murder Accountability Project, which reviewed 51 unsolved strangulation and asphyxiation cases dating as far back as 2001. 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.

Police response

Following pressure from activists, the Chicago Police Department 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.

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.
Date discoveredVictim's nameAgeRace
January 4, 2001Angela Ford32Black
March 28, 2001Charlotte Day42Black
August 2, 2001Winifred Shines33Black
August 22, 2001Brenda Cowart52Black
November 5, 2001Elaine Boneta41White
December 8, 2001Saudia Banks39Black
February 16, 2002Bessie Scott43Black
June 12, 2002Gwendolyn Williams44Black
August 14, 2002Jody Grissom20White
August 25, 2002Loraine Harris36White
September 7, 2002Dellie Jones33Black
December 20, 2002Celeste Jackson37Black
March 19, 2003Nancy Walker55Black
May 20, 2003Linda Green42Black
May 20, 2003Tarika Jones30Black
August 14, 2003Rosenda Barocio20White
August 16, 2003LaTonya Keeler29Black
October 15, 2003Latricia Hall21Black
October 15, 2003Lucyset Thomas38Black
December 26, 2003Ethel Amerson36Black
July 15, 2004Michelle Davenport40Black
October 16, 2004Tamala Edwards37Black
November 5, 2004Makalavah Williams18Black
January 13, 2005Precious Smith23Black
February 1, 2005Denise Torres35White
August 30, 2005Wanda Hall33Black
December 25, 2005Yvette Mason35Black
December 30, 2005Shaniqua Williams40Black
January 12, 2006Margaret Gomez22White
July 14, 2006Antoinette Simmons21Black
September 24, 2006Kelly Sarff34White
March 25, 2007Veronica Fraizer46Black
May 2, 2007Mary Ann Szatkowski56White
November 13, 2007Theresa Bunn21Black
November 14, 2007Hazel Lewis52Black
October 9, 2008Genevieve Mellas32White
June 13, 2009Charlene Miller54Black
July 5, 2009LaToya Banks29Black
August 6, 2009Shannon Williams36Black
December 9, 2009Vanessa Rajokovich32White
June 25, 2010Lafonda Wilson43Black
July 16, 2010Quanda Crider37Black
August 28, 2011Angela Profit46Black
August 9, 2012Pamela Wilson30Black
February 21, 2014Velma Howard50Black
March 3, 2017Diamond Turner21Black
June 22, 2017Catherine Saterfield-Buchanan58Black
March 17, 2018Valerie Jackson49Black
May 25, 2018Lora Harbin44White
June 12, 2018Nicole Ridge47White
September 10, 2018Reo Holyfield34Black

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. 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.