IL IL - Oak Park Flower Shop Murders, 1996

[VivMarlowe]

In 1996 39-year-old Caroline Thomas, her 8-year-old daughter Sukari, and Sukari's aunt Malika were all found in critical condition in Caroline's florist shop, Lady Caroline Florist Shop a little after 5 PM. All three victims had been shot in the head. Malika survived that attack, but Caroline and Sukari both died after having been brought to Loyola University Medical Center. I can only find about 3 articles online about this case, and I want to know why it was never solved. Can anyone help me out with this one? I'm from Oak Park and it's always bothered me that Sukari and Caroline never got justice.

 

[Betty P]

In 1996 39-year-old Caroline Thomas, her 8-year-old daughter Sukari, and Sukari's aunt Malika were all found in critical condition in Caroline's florist shop, Lady Caroline Florist Shop a little after 5 PM. All three victims had been shot in the head. Malika survived that attack, but Caroline and Sukari both died after having been brought to Loyola University Medical Center. I can only find about 3 articles online about this case, and I want to know why it was never solved. Can anyone help me out with this one? I'm from Oak Park and it's always bothered me that Sukari and Caroline never got justice.

Welcome to Websleuths, VivMarlowe!

This is a sad story. I've found another article that states the police thought the killing was gang related.



First, you'll need to ask the moderators to move this thread to the "Cold Cases" forum. They'll need to change the title a little for you to include the location of the crime, IL - Oak Park . There are instructions in the Cold Case forum about how to start a thread.

I'll keep looking to see what I can find at Newspapers.com

It looks like police weren't sure if robbery was the motive, but there was an undisclosed amount of cash taken from the cash register. Some of the other shopkeepers in the area said there were growing problems with gang activity encroaching in the neighborhood.

 

[dotr]

Jan 3 2023 rbbm.

Police chief calls 1996 ‘flower shop homicides’ a cold case - Wednesday Journal

Over 30 years before Dennis Johnson’s death, 8-year-old Sukari Thomas, her mother and her aunt were fatally shot on the same stretch of Chicago Avenue. While the perpetrator has not been brought to justice, there is hope the case may be solved yet.

www.oakpark.com

''Over 30 years before Dennis Johnson’s death, 8-year-old Sukari Thomas, her mother and her aunt were fatally shot on the same stretch of Chicago Avenue. While the perpetrator has not been brought to justice, there is hope the case may be solved yet.

“We still evaluate cold cases and murders are never closed,” said Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson. “We still go back and look over the evidence.”

“This crime was disgusting, obscene — there aren’t even any words for how terrible it was,” former Oak Park Police Cmdr. Robert Scianna told the Chicago Tribune at the time. “We are on a mission now. Every effort will be made to find this guy. No matter what it takes, or how long it takes, this little girl’s death will not go unavenged.”

1996

INVESTIGATION INTENSIFIES IN OAK PARK

The death of an 8-year-old girl a day after she, her mother and an aunt were shot in an Oak Park floral shop has intensified the determination of police to track down her killer. Oak Park Police Cm…

www.chicagotribune.com

''About four hours after the shooting, police released a composite sketch of a muscular 200-pound, 6-foot-tall black man, age 30 to 40, who was described as wearing sunglasses, a tan cap and a white coat with black spots.''