In February 2008, a man committed a violent shooting at a Lame Bryant clothing store in Tinley Park, Illinois, killing five women and leaving one survivor. Despite early access to key evidence—including a detailed composite sketch, a 911 voice recording, and a surviving witness—the suspect has never been identified, and the case remains unsolved after nearly 15 years. The host of Crime Junkie, Ashley Flowers, has spent years investigating the case, uncovering inconsistencies that suggest a deeper, more complex motive than a simple act of violence. Her research led to unexpected connections with a crisis church, a failing mental health facility, and a violent street gang, raising questions about possible inside involvement or organized crime. These developments prompted the release of Counter-Clock Season 8, which dives into the timeline, forensic details, and unresolved red flags in the case. The investigation challenges the initial narrative, suggesting the murders may be part of a larger pattern tied to money, power, or criminal networks. As the podcast explores these layers, it presents a disturbing narrative where the crime appears not just isolated, but possibly orchestrated—making the mystery both haunting and deeply unsettling.
Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And today, I want to tell you about a case that has stuck with me for years. In 2008, on a Saturday morning, a man walked into a lame Bryant store in Tinley Park, Illinois and held six women at gunpoint. Five of them were murdered. What's always stood out about this case is what investigators had almost immediately, a surviving witness, a detailed composite sketch, even the suspect's voice captured on a 911 call. But nearly two decades later, no one has been identified, and all potential leads went cold. Now, I first started looking into this case for crime junkie, and I took to my socials and asked you all for any information that could help us unravel this mystery. And so many tips and theories flooded my inbox that instead of answers, it felt like every lead I got just led to more questions. So today, I want you to hear how those questions then led to something bigger. For the newest season of Counter-Clock, host Dilya D'Ambra is going to dig into the lame Bryant murders, dig into the evidence, the timeline, and the details that still don't add up. So I want you to go and binge every episode of Counter-Clock Season 8, and then when you're done, you can head back here to crime junkie for more cases every week. Now, here is just a taste of what you're going to get this season on Counter-Clock. It started out as just another day in a popular clothing store, but it ended in a bloody massacre. A deadly shooting rampage at upscale lame Bryant ladies clothing store. Six women have gunned down execution style. The February 2008 lame Bryant homicides in Tinley Park, Illinois are a notorious case that for nearly two decades have looked like one type of crime, but might just be something much, much bigger. It was like a big jigsaw puzzle and most of the pieces were upside down. For the last year, I've been head down trying to turn every puzzle piece in this complicated case right side up. The search continues for the gunman. We in those early days did not know somebody had survived. We were worried about her safety. What if this guy has her information and has all of our information? This season on Counter-Clock, we're going inside a law enforcement investigation that has been locked behind closed doors for years. One of it made sense, the timing, the target, the victims, the length of time that he stayed in the store. What were you doing enough for 40 minutes? The further and further I dug into this crime, the stranger things got. My reporting led me to some unexpected places, a church in crisis, a dilapidated mental health center, an notorious street gang and another violent shooting. A lot of things go down because of money. Maybe it was an inside job. People use church to do they devilish ways. Buckle up, because this story is anything but straightforward. Also, I see the police come, like, filling the neighborhood and coming up my driveway. We got a shotgun shot out from my house, made your shoot out. How many here are there in this? It's going up. They've gone. They've gone. Most crimes I see is 10,000. This was 100,000. Who does not say anything for 100,000? When we first met and you provided me with this information, I made my jaw dropped. I was like, "Oh my goodness, thank God you're investigating journalism." Binge Counter-Clock Season 8 right now, wherever you get your podcasts. You guys, that is just the beginning of this investigation. Go listen to all episodes of Counter-Clock Season 8 right now on the Counter-Clock feed wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
In February 2008, a man entered a Lame Bryant clothing store in Tinley Park, Illinois, and held six women at gunpoint, killing five and leaving one survivor.
Early investigators obtained a detailed composite sketch, a voice recording from a 911 call, and a surviving witness, yet the suspect remains unidentified after nearly two decades.
The case initially appeared straightforward, but deeper investigation reveals inconsistencies in the timeline, victim selection, and suspect behavior that suggest a more complex or hidden motive.
The investigation into the murders has expanded to include connections to a crisis church, a deteriorating mental health facility, a notorious street gang, and another violent shooting, raising questions about possible inside involvement or organized criminal activity.
The host of "Crime Junkie" has spent years researching the case, leading to a broader inquiry that inspired a new season of "Counter-Clock," which explores the evidence, timeline, and unresolved questions in depth.
Summary:
In February 2008, a man committed a violent shooting at a Lame Bryant clothing store in Tinley Park, Illinois, killing five women and leaving one survivor. Despite early access to key evidence—including a detailed composite sketch, a 911 voice recording, and a surviving witness—the suspect has never been identified, and the case remains unsolved after nearly 15 years. The host of Crime Junkie, Ashley Flowers, has spent years investigating the case, uncovering inconsistencies that suggest a deeper, more complex motive than a simple act of violence.
Her research led to unexpected connections with a crisis church, a failing mental health facility, and a violent street gang, raising questions about possible inside involvement or organized crime. These developments prompted the release of Counter-Clock Season 8, which dives into the timeline, forensic details, and unresolved red flags in the case. The investigation challenges the initial narrative, suggesting the murders may be part of a larger pattern tied to money, power, or criminal networks.
As the podcast explores these layers, it presents a disturbing narrative where the crime appears not just isolated, but possibly orchestrated—making the mystery both haunting and deeply unsettling.
FAQs
On a Saturday morning in February 2008, a man entered the Lame Bryant clothing store and held six women at gunpoint, resulting in the deaths of five and the survival of one.
Yes, investigators obtained a detailed composite sketch of the suspect, a voice recording from a 911 call, and other physical evidence shortly after the attack.
Despite extensive investigations and public tips, the suspect has never been identified, and all major leads have gone cold over the past two decades.
The host began researching the case for Crime Junkie and received numerous tips, which led to deeper questions and eventually inspired a full investigation by Counter-Clock Season 8.
The investigation suggests that the case may be part of a larger pattern involving organized crime, financial motives, or inside involvement, with connections to a church, mental health facility, and street gang.
The survivor's survival raised concerns that the suspect might have information about the attack, making it a key piece of evidence and a focus for investigators.
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