Lane Bryant murders: Victim's father urges FBI to take over case

TINLEY PARK - Eighteen years after five women were shot and killed inside a Lane Bryant store in suburban Tinley Park, the father of one of the victims is speaking publicly for the first time, asking investigators to identify the person responsible while he is still alive to hear the answer.

What we know:

Melvin Woolfolk lost his daughter, Connie Woolfolk, on Feb. 2, 2008. She was 37.

Police say a man posing as a delivery driver entered the Lane Bryant store in the Brookside Marketplace on West 191st Street that morning. Investigators say he forced six women into a back room and shot them. Five died. One employee survived after being shot in the neck and later gave police a description of the gunman.

No one has ever been arrested in the case.

For Woolfolk and his wife, Annette, the years since have centered on one question: Who did it?

Melvin Woolfolk said he had heard that his daughter tried to stop the attacker.

"I heard she was fighting," he said.

Push for new forensic testing:

The Woolfolk family and supporters are now calling for renewed attention on the case. They want investigators to revisit evidence collected in 2008 using newer forensic technology.

Community activist Raul Montes Jr., who is working with the family, said items collected at the scene, including a coffee cup, duct tape and potential DNA from Connie Woolfolk’s fingernails, could hold clues that were harder to analyze nearly two decades ago.

Montes is also adding $50,000 to the reward fund tied to the case. That raises the total reward to about $200,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

The family believes someone may still know something that could help identify the gunman.

"Somebody knows somebody that knows somebody," Annette Woolfolk said.

What police say:

Tinley Park police say the investigation has never stopped. Detectives continue to review tips and evidence as investigative tools evolve.

The department and the FBI say newer forensic techniques are being used to examine evidence collected during the original investigation. Authorities continue to circulate a sketch of the suspect and encourage the public to share information.

Investigators say the gunman was about 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall with a husky build and broad shoulders. He was believed to be between 25 and 39 years old at the time of the shooting.

Still waiting:

Nearly two decades later, the Woolfolk family says the need for answers has not faded.

Melvin Woolfolk says he is not asking for much. He just wants to know who killed his daughter.

Anyone with information about the Lane Bryant killings is asked to contact the Tinley Park Police Department at 708-444-5300.