‘Anger fuels me’: Filmmaker begins work on Lane Bryant murders documentary

TINLEY PARK, Ill. (WGN) — Nearly 18 years since the Lane Bryant murders in Tinley Park, a documentary filmmaker has turned his attention toward the 2008 cold case in hopes of renewing interest and finding the killer.

Charlie Minn, who worked on America’s Most Wanted in the late 1980s before moving on to produce documentaries covering the arrest of El Chapo and the mass shootings in Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas (among others), arrived in the western suburbs on Thursday to interview families and begin shooting a documentary that covers the mass shooting.

Minn hopes his work can help the Tinley Park Police Department make meaningful progress toward solving the case.

“Anger fuels me, and this case needs emotion, because that creates a sense of urgency,” Minn said. “Right now, this thing is dormant. It has faded.”

The documentary, titled “Who Killed These Women: The Tinley Park 5,” will chronicle that chilling Saturday morning when a gunman entered Lane Bryant and killed four customers, the store manager, and wounded a part-time employee.

“One of them had a 1-year-old baby at the time,” Minn said. “Another one had a son that was disabled with a spinal cord issue. Another one, her mom died a year ago not knowing who killed her daughter.”

That woman’s daughter was 42-year-old Rhoda McFarland—the woman who placed the 911 call that day asking for help.

“That day, she wasn’t going to leave without the other ladies, so she took it upon herself to make the phone call,” said Maurice Hamilton, McFarland’s brother. “It was chilling but I knew that she was doing the right thing. And like I said, she’s a hero.”

The gunman corralled the women in a back room of the store before opening fire. The part-time employee who survived played dead, and later provided descriptions that led to sketches of the suspect.

Part of what eludes investigators is a clear motive for the crime. The killer posed as a delivery driver, chatting with some of the victims before pulling a gun on them and tying them up.

“I think of the person as a coward. I wish nothing but the worst for him,” Hamilton said. “He’ll come to justice one day.”

A $100,000 reward still stands for information leading to an arrest in the case’s investigation.

Who Killed These Women: The Tinley Park 5 comes out on Feb. 2, 2026—the 18th anniversary of the tragedy.

More info on the documentary and where to submit tips to police can be found at https://thetinley5.com/.

SEE ALSO: Director, victim’s brother talk renewed interest, new doc surrounding Lane Bryant murders