S3E2: Elgin

Key Takeaways

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  Cold case units prioritize family peace

  “And the core of why we do it, and most importantly, you know, why the podcast? Why are we using that avenue? Why are we using that sort of media to connect and engage with our community and beyond? It's for the families. It's truly to give a sense of peace.”

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  Cold cases are inactive for three years

  “So for us, it's anything past three years that we haven't... For we have decided that's the mark. So three years. So any missing person, any homicide cases, any sexual assault cases. So we're taking a look at all of those cases.”

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  Podcasts humanize victims to drive leads

  “And then I think when you listen to the podcast, it humanizes who that person is. I think when you listen to something, you want some sort of emotional connection to it. And we're able to get that by having the family be the ones that drive that for us about the victim of these different cases.”

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  EPD investigates and records in real-time

  “Ours was we're actively investigating it and we're putting out that content as we're moving. I think that was that draw. That's the piece for me. That was the draw to know that you're actually working on this stuff.”

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  Empathy is essential for cold cases

  “But if you are missing that human element, that empathy that you show people, you miss the mark. And so getting the right people. And when you talk to these guys, it's going to come through. I mean, truly genuine.”

Episode Description

In 1982, Wyteria Jones vanished from a rundown Elgin, Illinois hotel where she was living as an outpatient of the Elgin Mental Health Center. Over 40 years later, her case remains unsolved. In this episode of the Elgin Police Department's Cold Case Podcast, Detectives walk the same streets Wyteria walked — from the historic Douglas Hotel to the bus stops of downtown Elgin — piecing together her final known movements. With one witness account, a rainy October day, and a building that's been completely gutted since 1982, the trail is cold. But somebody knows something.