In the midst of multiple rap beefs and presidential buffoonery, something very ugly is happening in Chicago and no one is talking about it. Over the last few months and weeks, there have been a string of terrifying kidnappings and mutilations of young women on the south and west sides of Chicago. With barely any news or radio coverage, many of us are faced to gather news from Facebook posts or by calling our local government offices only to get half or misinformation about what is really going on.
Many are speculating that these kidnappings and murders are linked to organ trafficking while others suspect that we may have a serial killer on our hands. 18-year-old Anna Stanislawczyck has been missing since March 16th, Sadaria Davis, 15 yrs old, had been missing since April 15 before she was found dead recently. 13-year-old Yasminda Mitchell, the youngest of the known missing women disappeared May 31st. Victoria Garret, 15 years old, has been missing since June 5th, and 26-year-old Shantieya Smith, the oldest of the group, had been missing since May 26th but was found shortly after on June 12th, also dead.
Out of these five women who have all gone missing since late March, only two have been found and both were found in abandoned buildings. It is alleged that Sadaria was missing several fingers and organs but the Cook County Police Department has yet to confirm these facts.
It is suspected by many community members and activists that these are all connected but the lack of information is terrifying. What we do know is that these women disappeared during their normal routines which makes us question the general safety of our daily lives. As more bodies are found each week many of us are left feeling that we can, at any moment, become a victim. These stories resonate with me, not only as a Black woman living in the metropolitan area; but also as a victim of attempted rape & kidnapping.
Just last year, while walking to work at 7 am in the morning I found myself in a similar situation. I was attacked, held at gunpoint and forced into an alley. By the grace of God, I was able to