5 Illinois Cold Cases Still Unsolved in 2025 #462

Step into the chilling world of unresolved mysteries with "5 True Crime Cases in Illinois." These five haunting stories remain clouded in uncertainty, leaving families and communities yearning for answers and justice.

🕒 Case Lineup – 5 Chilling True Crime Stories in Illinois
🔹 Erica Thompson – A routine bank stop, then silence. At home: slider open, A/C blasting, dishes piled up, and the outdoor camera footage wiped. Her phone later surfaced in a Missouri ditch; her purple Nissan Juke turned up in a southern Illinois lake. Years of searches, no answers.
🔹 Michael Anthony Womack Sr. – A young father vanished between errands in Alton. He missed court and work; a final ping near Godfrey Speedway. Weeks later, his green F-150 was found in Cahokia—undamaged, seemingly cleaned, keys and a child seat locked inside.
🔹 Taji R. Cross – In her first place in Peoria, she was found murdered in a scene scrubbed with bleach. No forced entry, valuables left, bedding gone, fingertips removed. A likely late-night window at Tiffany Pointe suggests someone saw or heard something that night.
🔹 Viola Brown-Martin – The day after Christmas 2009, she told her daughter she was bringing a plate—and never arrived. Her car turned up in Dixmoor near a forest preserve, phone inside but keys missing. Family milestones and heartbreak followed; the trail did not.
🔹 Wynona “Wendi” Nadine Michel (formerly Troy Jane Doe) – Found in a Troy farm field in 1990 and nameless for 34 years. In 2025, forensic genealogy identified her as Wynona Nadine Michel—mother of two with ties to CA, TN, FL—yet who killed her and left her there remains unknown.

🔍 Uncover the Details:
Explore the timelines, key evidence, and unanswered questions surrounding these gripping cases. Could you hold the missing piece of the puzzle? Share your theories in the comments and join the conversation!

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📚 Sources:
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📺 YouTube Chapters
🔹 00:00 – Introduction: 5 Chilling True Crime Stories in Illinois
🔹 00:12 – Erica Thompson – Vanished after a bank stop; wiped camera, phone found in MO, car later in an IL lake
🔹 04:54 – Michael Anthony Womack Sr. – Young father disappears; final ping near Godfrey Speedway, truck left in Cahokia
🔹 06:56 – Taji R. Cross – Meticulous homicide; no forced entry, bleach cleanup, bedding missing
🔹 11:03 – Viola Brown-Martin – Left to bring a plate after Christmas; car found in Dixmoor, phone inside
🔹 14:22 – Wynona “Wendi” Nadine Michel – Jane Doe identified via forensic genealogy after 34 years

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