The Murder of Quesola Mimms

source: uncovered.com

Quesola Mimms was excited to begin a new chapter in her life during September 2016. The 20-year-old woman was due to start a job at a factory in Chicago, Illinois, and she was looking forward to going to work. However, Quesola reportedly never showed up for her first shift. 

Quesola, known as Keke by those close to her, left the Chicago residence that she shared with her mother on September 21st, 2016. She was never seen alive again. Two days later, a Chicago Park District worker found a plastic bag containing what appeared to be a human head in a lagoon at McKinley Park. Upon hearing about the discovery of the remains, Quesola's family members feared that the remains belonged to her.

In November 2016, the Cook County Medical Examiner's confirmed these fears: the remains were that of Quesola Mimms. About a month later, her death was ruled a homicide. However, a motive for her death remains unknown. According to reports, Quesola was a kind young woman and a mother to a young daughter, who was just 18 months old at the time of Quesola's death. It does not appear that Quesola had any known enemies. 

Shortly after the severed head was found at the lagoon in McKinley Park, investigators drained the lagoon in search of the rest of Quesola's remains. They weren't found during the search and have not been found to this day. 

Years have passed, and Quesola's murder remains unsolved. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced. Quesola's murder is considered a cold case.

If you have any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of Quesola's killer(s), please contact the Chicago Police Department at (312) 742-4410.

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Sources:
ABC 7
Chicago Sun-Times, (2)
DNA Info
Chicago Tribune
Uncovered

The Disappearance of Kierra Coles

Kierra Coles was three months pregnant when she vanished on October 3rd, 2018. At the time of her disappearance, the 26-year-old young woman worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Chicago, Illinois. However, on the day of her disappearance, she called out sick. Kierra has never been seen or heard from again.

Kierra was reported missing by her mother. Police conducted a welfare check at Kierra’s apartment but found no sign of her. Kierra’s car was still parked outside of the building, and her cell phone, wallet, and packed lunch were found inside the vehicle. The findings in Kierra's car indicated that she was going to work that day, despite the fact that she had called out sick. Further deepening the mystery, surveillance from that day captured a person matching Kierra's description walking away from her Chicago apartment wearing a U.S. Postal Service uniform. The person was seen walking down 82nd Street and Coles Avenue, passing Kierra's car, before eventually stepping out of the frame.

Investigators quickly began to believe that foul play was responsible for Kierra’s disappearance. In fact, in the onset of the investigation, detectives stated that they “have a pretty good idea” of what happened to Kierra. Other than that, very little additional information was released.

Kierra's loved ones were inevitably both confused and devastated by Kierra's disappearance. By all accounts, Kierra was looking forward to becoming a mother for the first time. Kierra's parents were looking forward to meeting their grandchild. Unfortunately, Kierra's disappearance took that experience away from Kierra and her family.

As months turned into years without any sign of Kierra, her case seemed to go cold. Years would pass without any updates. In 2021, new information was revealed that completely changed what the public originally thought was known about Kierra's case. This information led to the most viable theory in the case so far.

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Kierra's mother speaks out.

In February 2021, Kierra's mother, Karen Philips, provided more information about Kierra's disappearance.

Karen explained to NBC 5 Investigates that the postal worker captured on surveillance cameras on October 3rd, 2018, is not actually Kierra. Both Karen and investigators knew early on that the person in the video is not Kierra, but investigators reportedly told Karen to not reveal this information to the public. 

When Kierra's disappearance was originally reported, several news sources shared this surveillance footage. For years, many believed that the person captured on camera was Kierra, and that the footage was a clue. As it turns out, the footage was not related to Kierra's disappearance whatsoever.

Karen further explained that investigators did have actual surveillance footage of Kierra from the night before her disappearance. On October 2nd, 2018, surveillance cameras captured both Kierra and her boyfriend/father of her unborn child, Josh Simmons, leaving Kierra's apartment. Later, surveillance cameras at a local ATM captured Kierra withdrawing $400 and giving the cash to Simmons.

Kierra and Simmons had been dating for about 6 years before her disappearance. Simmons also had children with another woman. Kierra and this woman did not get along, and shortly before Kierra vanished; she had banned this woman from coming to her apartment. 

Karen said that she initially did not believe that Simmons had anything to do with Kierra's disappearance. Simmons reportedly does not have a criminal history, nor had investigators labeled him a person of interest. Then, as a significant amount of time had passed without answers, Karen began to believe Simmons might be involved after all. After Kierra was reported missing, Simmons reportedly did not help with the search. Eventually, he stopped talking to Kierra's mother and moved to Louisiana with the other woman. He also did not respond to any requests to speak on the case.

The other surveillance footage.

In June 2022, the Chicago Police released the footage of Kierra before her disappearance. The video depicts Kierra withdrawing cash from a local Walgreens on October 2nd, 2018. Police also released footage of the 'person of interest' parking Kierra's car near her home the following day.

Kierra's mother stated that the person with Kierra is her boyfriend/father of her unborn child, Josh Simmons. However, reporters still continue to refer to this person simply as a 'person if interest' and he has not been publicly named. 

The footage can be viewed here:

Where the case stands.

As of today, Kierra Coles still remains missing. Many speculate that Josh Simmons is responsible for her disappearance, but he has not been charged with anything related to Kierra's case. 

There is a monetary reward available for information that could lead to Kierra's whereabouts. If you have any information that could help, please contact the Chicago Police Department at (312) 747-5789, or the United States Postal Inspection Service (877) 876-2455.

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Sources:
ABC News
Charley Project
NBC Chicago

The Disappearance of Yasmin Acree

 

Yasmin Acree has been missing since January 15th, 2008. The young girl was only 15 years-old at the time of her disappearance. Despite her young age, Yasmin had already been through very many hardships in her life. She spent several of her childhood years in Kentucky's foster system, during which she faced both physical and sexual abuse. In 2001, Yasmin and her older brother Damarcus went to live with Rose Mae Starnes - an aunt through marriage - in Chicago, Illinois. Rose officially adopted them both in 2006.

According to relatives, both Yasmin and Damarcus struggled with behavioral issues due to their years of traumatic experiences. However, Yasmin was still an honor roll student and received good grades up until she finished middle school. In 2007, she began her freshman year of high school, and her grades began to slip. Around the same time, Rose kicked Damarcus out of the home - leaving Yasmin as the only child in the residence during the months leading up to her disappearance.

The day Yasmin was last seen was a seemingly normal day. Rose was out of town at the time, but her boyfriend Charles Burt was at the home. According to reports, Yasmin went to school that day and then went to the local YMCA. She returned home that evening and did a load of laundry before going to bed. The following morning, Charles was taking out the trash when he noticed the door to the basement - where Yasmin slept - was opened. Upon closer look, he noticed that the door jamb was broken, and the padlock had been cut - indicating that someone had broken in. Yasmin was not in the basement, but Charles thought she had gone to school early, and that the break-in had happened after she left.

Rose returned home later that day. When Yasmin never returned home that evening, Rose called police to file a missing persons' report. Police came to the residence, but they did not collect evidence from the break-in scene - despite the fact that the break-in occurred through Yasmin's bedroom door. After interviewing a few of Yasmin's friends, police deemed her a runaway. This is likely due to the fact some of Yasmin's classmates told police that Yasmin left on her own accord, and that they had since heard from her via phone. Cell phone records would later confirm that this was false, and two girls would later admit to misleading police. 

As time continued to pass without any sign of Yasmin, many began to criticize the Chicago police's handling of the case. Not only did they not collect crucial evidence from the home, but police also failed to identify and/or question other tenants who had lived in the same residence as Yasmin. It would take a year-and-half before police would learn that a violent offender had lived in the home prior to Yasmin's disappearance. This information, along with information discovered by reporters from the Chicago Tribune, finally led to some viable theories in Yasmin's case. 

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An offender in the home.

In 2009, a man named Jimmie Terrell Smith was arrested on charges of raping five females, two of whom were 14-year-old girls he also allegedly kidnapped. Yasmin's adoptive mother Rose saw a news broadcast about Smith's arrest and was prompted to contact detectives. She subsequently told them that Smith and Yasmin knew each other. 

During 2005, Smith lived in a second-floor room in Rose's building. Prior to moving in, Smith had served ten years in prison due to an attempted murder conviction. Smith was already on public record as a convicted felon, yet police were unaware that he lived in the same home as a missing child until a year-and-a-half after said child's disappearance.

Jimmie Terrell Smith

Yasmin's relationship with Smith & her diary.

Smith was in his 30s at the time he was Rose's tenant. He reportedly took a liking to Yasmin, who was only 12 or 13 at the time. At one gathering, family members witnessed Smith giving Yasmin a beer and stroking her hair. At another gathering, Smith was heard complimenting Yasmin's looks. Smith and Yasmin reportedly kept in touch even after Smith moved out. In fact, the two saw each other at a family gathering that occurred approximately two weeks before Yasmin's disappearance.

In 2011, an article from the Chicago Tribune stated that their reporters uncovered Yasmin's diary - an item that police did not yet know existed. Yasmin reportedly wrote affectionately about Smith a few times in the diary, referring to him as "Tyrell". She scribbled things such as "I miss Tyrell..." and "I miss him and his sexy ass".

Interviews with Smith.

Once detectives were finally made aware of this information, they went to interview Smith. It's unclear what, exactly, Smith told detectives, but afterwards they had a warrant to search a home he had previously lived in. It is also unclear what was found during said searches. 

In 2011, Smith also spoke to reporters from the Tribune. During this interview, he said he knew what happened to Yasmin, but he was not going to speak up about it. Smith still did not admit direct involvement in her disappearance at that time.

Around two years later, in 2013, Rose went to meet with Smith at Cook County Jail. According to a timeline on uncovered.com, Smith admitted to involvement in Yasmin's disappearance during this meeting. The timeline states, "he tells her family that [Yasmin] had committed suicide. He claims that he had taken her to a house in the 2200 block of South Spaulding, but that he had burned her body in a garbage can to dispose of her body."

Police have not found any evidence to support Smith's claims. It's worth noting that Smith has a history of fabricating events, so many have had reasons to doubt his story. It's also worth noting that Yasmin's loved ones do not believe that Yasmin committed suicide - but they do believe that Smith is involved in her disappearance.

In 2017, Smith was sentenced to 110 years in prison after being convicted of the unrelated rape and kidnapping charges. As of today, he has not been charged with anything related to Yasmin's disappearance. 

A struggling family and a broken system.

Rose died in 2014 after years of battling health issues. Yasmin's remaining family members are still dedicated to learning the truth about what happened to her. Many have criticized the Chicago police for not thoroughly investigating Yasmin's disappearance. Some others have questioned if Yasmin was failed by the system before she ever vanished.

As previously stated, Yasmin and her brother Damarcus spent many years in the foster system during their early childhood. Before that, they lived with their biological mother, who struggled with drug addiction. Yasmin and Damarcus spent many of their young years being shuffled between their mother's home, group homes, and foster homes. It was during those years that they experienced horrific abuse. 

At one point, they settled with a foster family where they seemed to be doing well. After being with this family for two years, Yasmin and Damarcus' biological mother declared that she wanted them to live with family. The two siblings were then subsequently sent to Chicago to live with Rose. 

Although Rose loved Yasmin and Damarcus, she struggled with their behavioral issues as well. She admits to disciplining them by whipping them and locking them in the basement. Case workers routinely visited the home - including during the time period in which Smith was living there - but this was never documented by social services. Therefore, this information was not immediately on detective's radar when Yasmin was reported missing. Still, it appears detectives also failed to properly identify people in Yasmin's life. 

Where the case stands today.

Yasmin remains missing today. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified. Many speculate that Smith is responsible for Yasmin's disappearance, but he has yet to be charged with anything related to her case.

There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to Yasmin's whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip. 

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Sources:

ABC 7
Charley Project
Chicago Tribune
Uncovered

The Murder of Mary Watkins

Mary Kimberly Watkins (37) was found brutally murdered inside her in Chicago, Illinois on March 9th, 2020. She was discovered by her father, who had gone to her residence in the Chatham neighborhood to check on her. Mary kept in touch with her father frequently, and he began to worry when he had not heard from her for two days. Mary's father entered her home shortly before 7 PM and found her dead inside her bedroom. She had been brutally stabbed and strangled.

Mary lived alone at the time of her death. It's unknown if there were any signs of forced entry at her residence. It appears that investigators do not have any suspects at this time, and no persons of interest have been publicly identified either. Mary's family members state that they do not have any information about who committed the murder, and they are tirelessly still searching for answers. 

If you have any information that could help solve Mary's case, please go here to report it. 

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Sources:
ABC 7 Chicago
Chicago Sun times
WGN TV

The Murder of Alexandra Anaya

Alexandra (Alex) Anaya was only 13 years-old when she was brutally murdered in August 2005. The teen vanished from her family’s Hammond, Indiana home on August 13th. Just three days later, Alex’s torso was found floating in Little Calumet River in Chicago. She had been dismembered, and the rest of her body has never been recovered.

No arrests have ever been made for Alex’s death. Her mother’s ex-boyfriend was tried in federal court shortly after Alex’s disappearance on charges of stalking the family, but he was eventually acquitted. He has never been named as a suspect in Alex’s case. However, investigators do believe that Alex knew her killer.

In 2016, Special Agent Michael Anderson hinted that they knew of certain individuals who could help the investigation. Anderson explained, “[Authorities] have reason to believe that there are individuals with information pertinent to this investigation, who for whatever reason, have not come forward. It’s been more than a decade since Alex was murdered, and during that time people and relationships have changed. We are hopeful that someone will come forward now.”

Chicago’s FBI Homicide Initiative Task Force is investigating Alex’s case. Anyone who may have information on the case is being asked to call the FBI Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700.

The Mysterious Murders & Disappearances in Chicago Lawn

Kenshon Ward (top left), Shante Bohanan (top right), Joanna Wright (bottom left) and Marlo Gulley (bottom right) were all residents of the same neighborhood in the south side of Chicago, Illinois.  Kenshon (21) and Shante (20) were dating, while Joanna (33) and Marlo (26) were friends. All four of them knew each other, which makes the following tragic chain of events all the more mysterious:

On July 13th, 2016, Kenshon was tragically murdered in Marquette Park, located in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. He had been shot multiple times. A few people, including Shante, witnessed the shooting but did not see the shooter’s face. Nobody has ever been arrested in connection with Kenshon’s death and his killer remains at large. Additionally, there are very few details available about the investigation.

Eleven days later, on July 24th, 2016, Shante mysteriously vanished. She was last seen near a home in the Marquette Park area. When she failed to return home, her parents reported her missing. Just a few days later, police received an anonymous tip that there was a dead body in a “condemned” garage, located near where Shante was last seen. When police followed up, they found Shante’s body in a garbage can inside the garage. An autopsy apparently could not make a ruling on her cause of death.

A few months went by without any mainstream news on Kenshon and Shante’s cases. Then, on December 18th, 2016, Joanna Wright was taking a walk near her home in Marquette Park when she was kidnapped by a group of unidentified men in the broad daylight. A person who witnessed the event immediately called the police. The witness said that three men grabbed Joanna and started dragging her towards a vehicle. She tried to scream and fight them off, but they were still able to force her into the car and drive away. The car was described as a blue newer-model Mazda with an Ohio license plate.

After the initial reports about the kidnapping, mainstream news about Joanna’s case became scarce. However, community activists continued to share their thoughts. Many believed that Kenshon and Shante’s deaths were related, and they also did not think it was a coincidence that Joanna had been violently kidnapped from the very same neighborhood. Despite this, news about all three cases seemed to fade away due to the lack of updates in the investigations. Still, the residents of Marquette Park remained fearful that there were violent offenders on the loose in their community.

Then, on October 26th, 2017, yet another Marquette Park resident went missing: 26 year-old Marlo Gulley. He was last seen near the house where Shante was last seen before she was reported missing—located on the same street where Joanna was kidnapped. Marlo was reported missing by his girlfriend, who was pregnant with his child, after he failed to show up to their sonogram appointment. A search turned up no clues, and he still remains missing today.

While it has never been confirmed that any of these cases are related to one another, possible links are being investigated. It is quite notable that all four victims knew each other, and that Kenshon and Shante were found dead in the same neighborhood from which Joanna and Marlo vanished. Chicago Police are investigating each case. If you have any information that could lead to answers in any of the cases, please contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8380.

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[Unsolved Kidnappings]

[Unsolved Connected Cases]

The Disappearance and Murder of Latasha Nevitt

Latasha Nevitt (30) was last seen alive on October 10th, 2011. According to her husband Isaac Nevitt, Latasha left their Chicago, Illinois home that day to walk to a nearby grocery and liquor store on 112th Street and never returned. Isaac reported her missing four days later, on October 14th, 2011.

Latasha’s mother Brenda Morgan was incredibly puzzled by her daughter’s disappearance. Brenda said that Latasha would never leave behind her three children. Latasha was also attending school at Evergreen University to become a dental hygienist, and by all accounts, things were going well. 

Concerns about Latasha only grew once it was revealed that she had not accessed her cell phone or bank accounts since October 10th. Brenda and other volunteer searchers reportedly searched the area where Latasha was last seen but were unable to find any clues to her whereabouts. Suspicions were inevitably starting to build towards Latasha’s husband, Isaac, as he was the last person to have seen her. Isaac adamantly denied being involved in his wife’s disappearance.

Nearly three years later, on March 6th, 2014, the case finally had a break. A city water worker found a body in a drainpipe at Morgan Park, located close to Latasha’s home. The body had been found in a heavy-duty plastic bag and appeared to have been stuffed into the space it was found. Two days later, the remains were confirmed to be that of Latasha Nevitt.

According to the statement from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Latasha’s body was found “frozen, in the fetal position, and wrapped in garbage bags. A scarf was wrapped around her eyes like a blindfold. Her legs were bound with a cell phone charging cord.” The coroner classified Latasha’s death as a homicide by unspecified means.

To this day, no arrests have been made in Latasha’s case. Many still believe that her husband is responsible for her murder, however police have not publicly announced Isaac (or anybody) as a suspect at this time. Latasha’s family is desperately hoping to receive justice in this case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Chicago Police Department.

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Sources:
CBS News, 1
WGNTV