WEBVTT 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:10.789 The views and opinions expressed in Cold and 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:13.710 Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All 00:00:13.710 --> 00:00:16.129 parties mentioned are considered innocent until 00:00:16.129 --> 00:00:18.929 proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing 00:00:18.929 --> 00:00:22.390 also contains adult themes and languages. Listener 00:00:22.390 --> 00:00:26.230 discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin 00:00:26.230 --> 00:00:28.989 -Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski. 00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:31.269 And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover 00:00:31.269 --> 00:00:34.789 cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone, 00:00:34.789 --> 00:00:36.810 and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your 00:00:36.810 --> 00:00:39.649 host, Ali. And I'm your co -host Eli. Welcome 00:00:39.649 --> 00:00:43.009 back everyone and welcome to a brand new year. 00:00:43.130 --> 00:00:47.609 We are in the year of 2026 and we at Cold and 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:50.829 Missing hope that you had a lovely introduction 00:00:50.829 --> 00:00:54.530 to your year. Yes, I hope everybody stayed safe 00:00:54.530 --> 00:00:56.750 during the holidays, got to spend time with people 00:00:56.750 --> 00:00:59.570 that they love, that the new year is off to an 00:00:59.570 --> 00:01:03.109 incredible start, and yeah I just I wish nothing 00:01:03.109 --> 00:01:05.590 but the best for our listeners out there. So 00:01:05.590 --> 00:01:07.719 I hope You got everything you wanted for the 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:09.560 holidays, and you get everything you want in 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:12.719 the new year. Moving right along into this new 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.620 year, we are on a new episode, and we are on 00:01:15.620 --> 00:01:19.920 episode 152. And we are on a cold case this week. 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:23.799 All right, let's get into it. Let's do it. So 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:25.780 just as a bit of a content warning at the top, 00:01:25.859 --> 00:01:28.579 this case does involve a young person, and there 00:01:28.579 --> 00:01:32.219 are some brief mentions of sexual assault. Today, 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.319 we are talking about the cold case of Lori Bolger. 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:40.140 and this takes place in June of 1976 in South 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:43.859 Elgin, Illinois. But first, a little bit about 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:47.760 Lori. Lori Bolger was 16 years old when our timeline 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:52.319 starts. She was born on April 23, 1960, and in 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:55.459 the summer of 1976, Lori was living with her 00:01:55.459 --> 00:01:59.200 family at Sweetbriar Court in South Elgin, Illinois. 00:02:00.030 --> 00:02:02.549 She was the third of four children with an older 00:02:02.549 --> 00:02:05.530 sister, Tina, and two brothers, Lawrence and 00:02:05.530 --> 00:02:09.270 Terrence. Her parents, James and Jane, were both 00:02:09.270 --> 00:02:12.169 Navy veterans, and by all accounts, Lori was 00:02:12.169 --> 00:02:15.509 deeply loved and cherished by her family. She 00:02:15.509 --> 00:02:17.870 was known as the family comic. She just made 00:02:17.870 --> 00:02:21.629 everybody laugh. Lori was well -liked at Larkin 00:02:21.629 --> 00:02:24.930 High School in Elgin. People described her as 00:02:24.930 --> 00:02:28.189 cool, the kind of person others naturally gravitated 00:02:28.189 --> 00:02:31.780 towards. She loved crafts, especially around 00:02:31.780 --> 00:02:33.939 the holidays, and Christmas was her favorite 00:02:33.939 --> 00:02:37.199 time of year. Lori also loved being outside. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.400 She loved the sunshine, being warm, swimming, 00:02:40.539 --> 00:02:46.199 and outdoor sports. That summer of 1976, Lori 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.120 was learning how to drive. Normally, she would 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.000 have taken driver's education during the school 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.860 year, but life had been anything but normal for 00:02:53.860 --> 00:02:58.169 Lori. Just days before our timeline begins. Lori's 00:02:58.169 --> 00:03:02.949 father, James, died. He passed away on June 13, 00:03:03.250 --> 00:03:06.569 1976, and Lori had spent much of the school year 00:03:06.569 --> 00:03:09.990 at his side. A week before she vanished, she 00:03:09.990 --> 00:03:13.849 buries her dad. Her aunts, Maury Bolger, will 00:03:13.849 --> 00:03:15.930 later recall something that Lori said at her 00:03:15.930 --> 00:03:19.750 father's funeral. Mary says, quote, We buried 00:03:19.750 --> 00:03:22.590 Jim in the shade of a tree, but Lori loved the 00:03:22.590 --> 00:03:24.889 sun and told us, When I die, you'll have to find 00:03:24.889 --> 00:03:29.159 a grave out in the sun. And now a timeline of 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:36.259 events. Tuesday, June 22, 1976. That morning, 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.080 Lori's sister dropped her off at Larkin High 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:42.280 School, which at that time was located at 1475 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:46.639 Larkin Avenue in Elgin. Lori was there to make 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:49.139 up her missed coursework for her driver's education 00:03:49.139 --> 00:03:52.439 class. She attended class that morning without 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:56.319 any issue. I believe class started at around 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:00.840 8 a .m. So at around 9, 10 a .m., Lori was seen 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:04.719 leaving the school, which tracks. A driving instructor 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.620 later reported seeing Lori outside the school 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:11.039 hitchhiking. And then a few minutes later, Lori 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.479 was seen at a donut shop about a block away. 00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:16.399 A waitress recalled that Lori was alone when 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:19.600 she left the donut shop. We do know that Lori 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.220 had plans that morning. She was supposed to meet 00:04:22.220 --> 00:04:26.170 her friends. Peggy and Mimi around 10 .20 a .m. 00:04:26.170 --> 00:04:28.730 to go swimming at a spot known as the quarry. 00:04:29.389 --> 00:04:31.810 Several people who knew Lori reported seeing 00:04:31.810 --> 00:04:36.470 her walking between 9 a .m. and 9 .15, and based 00:04:36.470 --> 00:04:39.149 on the route witnesses saw her on, it looked 00:04:39.149 --> 00:04:41.889 like she was headed towards her home, presumably 00:04:41.889 --> 00:04:44.149 to change into her swimsuit and then head over 00:04:44.149 --> 00:04:47.269 to the quarry. According to reports, several 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:49.629 people saw Lori, people that she knew, that she 00:04:49.629 --> 00:04:52.689 waved at, people waved at her, but... At around 00:04:52.689 --> 00:04:56.029 9 .15, no one reported seeing Lori after this. 00:04:56.910 --> 00:05:00.209 According to police, at around 10 .30 a .m., 00:05:00.209 --> 00:05:02.970 so this is just a little over an hour, about 00:05:02.970 --> 00:05:05.649 an hour and 15 minutes since Lori was last seen 00:05:05.649 --> 00:05:09.470 walking, a man driving past a field noticed a 00:05:09.470 --> 00:05:13.350 girl lying in the grass. He assumed she was sunbathing 00:05:13.350 --> 00:05:16.829 and continued driving. He didn't stop. Investigators 00:05:16.829 --> 00:05:20.310 later believed this was likely Lori's body. Because 00:05:20.310 --> 00:05:24.000 just... An hour later, at approximately 11 .25 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:27.500 a .m., plant workers driving onto the grounds 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:30.519 of the Elgin Township Estate Sewage Treatment 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:33.459 Plant discovered a body lying in the grass in 00:05:33.459 --> 00:05:36.620 the same spot the earlier driver had seen a girl 00:05:36.620 --> 00:05:40.540 lying in the grass. The location is near Randall 00:05:40.540 --> 00:05:44.300 Road and Hopps Road, which at this time in 1976 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:48.000 was very isolated and surrounded by cornfields. 00:05:48.430 --> 00:05:50.730 There are still fields there today, but it's 00:05:50.730 --> 00:05:54.290 a little bit more populated. Two men doing property 00:05:54.290 --> 00:05:56.290 maintenance that day were the ones who found 00:05:56.290 --> 00:05:58.930 her. When they pulled up, they were shocked by 00:05:58.930 --> 00:06:03.089 what they saw. Lori was lying on the grass. Her 00:06:03.089 --> 00:06:05.389 jeans had been pulled down below her knees, and 00:06:05.389 --> 00:06:07.310 her brown and white sweater was pushed up towards 00:06:07.310 --> 00:06:11.069 her neck. She had been beaten to death. The two 00:06:11.069 --> 00:06:13.230 men quickly jumped back in their truck and turned 00:06:13.230 --> 00:06:15.850 around to head to find a phone to call the police. 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:18.920 Police arrived and quickly secured the scene. 00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:22.259 They searched the area throughout the field, 00:06:22.300 --> 00:06:25.079 but they didn't find any additional evidence, 00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:29.139 according to reports. The next day, Wednesday, 00:06:29.300 --> 00:06:33.480 June 23rd, Lori's sister was tasked with the 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:36.779 unimaginable. She had to identify her younger 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:40.180 sister at the hospital. She had heard a report 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:42.899 on the radio about an unidentified girl being 00:06:42.899 --> 00:06:47.220 found, and Lori was missing. So she put the two 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:49.560 and two together and went to the hospital where 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:53.259 she found the heartbreaking news. Lori's autopsy 00:06:53.259 --> 00:06:56.240 was also completed that day. The cause of death 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.100 was a fractured skull caused by a blunt object. 00:07:00.740 --> 00:07:03.100 Investigators determined that Lori had been struck 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:06.060 three times in the forehead and four times in 00:07:06.060 --> 00:07:09.360 the back of the head. Police said that the weapon 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:12.819 would be similar to a tire iron. Though, again, 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:15.699 no murder weapon was ever recovered, and they're 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:18.779 not exactly sure of what instrument was used, 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:23.779 but they likened it to a tire iron. Investigators 00:07:23.779 --> 00:07:26.639 initially believed Lori had been sexually assaulted 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:28.959 due to the state that her body was found in. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.740 However, it would take weeks for the results 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:34.680 to come back, but ultimately the autopsy determined 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:38.819 that she was not sexually assaulted. For police, 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:42.649 this is a difficult case. This is actually the 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:45.129 second murder of a teenage girl in that area 00:07:45.129 --> 00:07:50.829 for 1976. In February, 13 -year -old Rose Whitney 00:07:50.829 --> 00:07:53.829 had been found shot to death. She was killed 00:07:53.829 --> 00:07:56.490 the same day she disappeared. Her case, like 00:07:56.490 --> 00:08:00.250 Lori's, remains unsolved. Police have never linked 00:08:00.250 --> 00:08:03.769 these two cases or stated that they could be 00:08:03.769 --> 00:08:07.079 connected, but media at the time... was making 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.480 connections between the two cases, or at least 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:11.920 pointing it out that two teenage girls had been 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:15.480 murdered, which was strange for the area. On 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:18.500 Thursday, June 24th, so it's been two days since 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:21.600 Lori's murder, police asked the public for help. 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:25.339 Investigators believed Lori had been picked up 00:08:25.339 --> 00:08:27.680 by a car when she was walking home because she 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:31.259 had been hitchhiking. They believe she possibly 00:08:31.259 --> 00:08:33.580 could have been picked up near the intersection 00:08:33.580 --> 00:08:38.039 of McLean Avenue and bypass Route 40 in Elgin. 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:43.299 It's unclear what led police to this specific 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:45.899 intersection. If a witness did see her get in 00:08:45.899 --> 00:08:48.080 the car, that's never revealed. But this is really 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:52.019 the only spot that police mention as the possible 00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:56.419 point of abduction. On Friday, June 25th, so 00:08:56.419 --> 00:08:59.850 three days since Lori's murder, And for the second 00:08:59.850 --> 00:09:02.889 time that month, the Bulger family gathered to 00:09:02.889 --> 00:09:06.129 bury someone they loved. Lori was laid to rest 00:09:06.129 --> 00:09:08.870 near her father. He had been buried in the shade, 00:09:09.029 --> 00:09:11.870 but for Lori, they chose a spot in the sun just 00:09:11.870 --> 00:09:16.250 as she had wanted. On June 30th, so it's been 00:09:16.250 --> 00:09:19.009 eight days since Lori's murder, police announced 00:09:19.009 --> 00:09:22.350 that they wanted to question three men in connection 00:09:22.350 --> 00:09:25.350 with Lori's death, emphasizing that the three 00:09:25.350 --> 00:09:28.529 men were not suspects. But they were very interested 00:09:28.529 --> 00:09:32.110 in talking to them at the time. It's unclear 00:09:32.110 --> 00:09:34.970 if police ever found these three men that they 00:09:34.970 --> 00:09:39.370 wanted to talk to. However, in September of 1976, 00:09:39.649 --> 00:09:41.690 so it's been about three months since Lori's 00:09:41.690 --> 00:09:46.210 murder, four men and one teenager are arrested 00:09:46.210 --> 00:09:50.889 in connection to Lori's death. James, who is 00:09:50.889 --> 00:09:54.389 21, and Robert, who is 18 at this time, were 00:09:54.389 --> 00:09:57.600 indicted on murder charges. Both of them pled 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:01.899 not guilty. And then John, who is 18, and Gary, 00:10:02.139 --> 00:10:06.039 who is 22, were indicted on obstruction of justice 00:10:06.039 --> 00:10:09.820 charges. There's also a 16 -year -old who was 00:10:09.820 --> 00:10:12.779 indicted on an obstruction of justice charge, 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:15.120 but we don't learn his name since he is a minor. 00:10:16.139 --> 00:10:19.139 The four men, though, were residents of Chicago. 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:22.600 Police learned about these men after they were 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:25.399 arrested the day after Lori's murder on suspicion 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:28.940 of stealing a car battery. While in custody, 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.120 evidence found in the vehicle prompted investigators 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:36.080 to consider them in Lori's murder. Inside the 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:38.860 car, police alleged they found a hammer with 00:10:38.860 --> 00:10:42.539 human bloodstains. The blood that was found on 00:10:42.539 --> 00:10:46.379 the hammer was the same type as Lori's, but they 00:10:46.379 --> 00:10:48.919 don't have DNA testing, so it's not a firm match. 00:10:48.940 --> 00:10:51.460 It's just the same blood type that Lori had. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.899 Police claimed that there was additional evidence 00:10:54.899 --> 00:10:57.940 as well, though that's never made public. Despite 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:00.620 these arrests, police still say that they have 00:11:00.620 --> 00:11:05.360 no motive in the case. A few months later, in 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:09.370 December, of 1976, so it's been about five and 00:11:09.370 --> 00:11:13.110 a half months since Lori's murder. And the new 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:16.730 Kane County State's attorney, Gene Armantrout, 00:11:16.850 --> 00:11:19.929 requested that the murder charges against Jayme 00:11:19.929 --> 00:11:25.090 and Robert be dismissed. Both men passed polygraph 00:11:25.090 --> 00:11:28.549 tests. Armantrout later said, quote, that was 00:11:28.549 --> 00:11:30.590 all I needed because I didn't think they did 00:11:30.590 --> 00:11:35.230 it either. Additional evidence supported their 00:11:35.230 --> 00:11:38.299 innocence. Witnesses placed the men elsewhere 00:11:38.299 --> 00:11:41.620 at the time of the murder. A mechanic stated 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:44.539 that the car in question was in his shop during 00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:47.840 the time that Lori was killed. It was also determined 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:50.100 that Lori's wounds could not have been caused 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:54.379 by the type of hammer found in the car. So with 00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:59.019 that, all the charges were dismissed. Unfortunately, 00:11:59.059 --> 00:12:02.519 when these charges get dismissed, it seems like 00:12:02.519 --> 00:12:06.600 Lori's case really stalls out. I didn't really 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:10.120 see any updates after this about Lori's case 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:15.139 or efforts that the police were doing to bring 00:12:15.139 --> 00:12:18.139 about a resolution. The next real big update 00:12:18.139 --> 00:12:22.559 that I found came in September of 2025 when the 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:24.840 Elgin Police Department, they started their own 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:28.200 podcast, which is called Somebody Knows Something, 00:12:28.419 --> 00:12:32.090 and they cover Lori's case. But again, there's 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:36.009 no real updates or any new information from the 00:12:36.009 --> 00:12:38.549 podcast or where the case stands today. They 00:12:38.549 --> 00:12:41.870 don't give us any of that information. So with 00:12:41.870 --> 00:12:44.549 that, that is truly all we know about the murder 00:12:44.549 --> 00:12:49.990 of Lori Bulger in June of 1976. So if you know 00:12:49.990 --> 00:12:53.129 anything about the murder of Lori Bulger, please 00:12:53.129 --> 00:12:58.049 call the Elgin Police Department at 847 -289 00:12:58.049 --> 00:13:04.840 -2653. So that is the case of Lori Bulger. Just 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:09.080 to talk about Lori from the top here, we heard 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:12.279 so much about who she was and that she was crafty 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:15.220 and outdoorsy and maybe a little bit of a class 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:20.700 clown. Very well liked and had friendships and 00:13:20.700 --> 00:13:24.659 strong family connections to her siblings and 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:27.799 was already facing such a difficult moment after 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:32.960 losing her father. She sounded so familiar to 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:35.879 me. She sounded like someone I could have easily 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:40.059 went to school with. She sounded familiar in 00:13:40.059 --> 00:13:43.360 a way that she kind of sounded like my sisters. 00:13:44.659 --> 00:13:46.919 And obviously, you know, I didn't know this person, 00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:52.480 but it felt like I did the moment you started 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:55.460 talking about her and who she was and what her 00:13:55.460 --> 00:13:58.169 life was like. Yeah, and we'll have photos of 00:13:58.169 --> 00:14:00.990 Lori up on our Instagram. And I think Lori is 00:14:00.990 --> 00:14:04.029 one of those people where you can kind of capture 00:14:04.029 --> 00:14:06.429 a little bit of their personality in photos and 00:14:06.429 --> 00:14:09.970 like kind of feel it radiating off. And I think 00:14:09.970 --> 00:14:13.129 Lori's pictures do exactly that. You kind of 00:14:13.129 --> 00:14:15.590 feel her fun energy. And yeah, if I was in high 00:14:15.590 --> 00:14:18.370 school with Lori, I would want to be her friend. 00:14:18.409 --> 00:14:21.850 Like she sounds really cool and a lot of fun 00:14:21.850 --> 00:14:26.320 to be around. Timeline, you know, it being 1976 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:31.259 and her being 16 for this time period, hitchhiking 00:14:31.259 --> 00:14:35.879 was very normal. And if you follow true crime 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:39.659 cases specifically around this time period, you 00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:44.860 hear it pretty often in stories. Very normal, 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:48.440 even for in the Midwest, like where she was. 00:14:49.059 --> 00:14:51.840 But I'm aware and I think probably our listeners 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.330 are that. This was kind of a normal thing to 00:14:54.330 --> 00:14:58.029 be happening for that time period. Oh, yeah. 00:14:58.070 --> 00:15:02.830 It seemed very part of Lori's world. Like, she 00:15:02.830 --> 00:15:04.649 got dropped off in the morning by her sister. 00:15:05.049 --> 00:15:07.309 And then, you know, after her class was done, 00:15:07.450 --> 00:15:09.350 the class only took an hour, she was going to 00:15:09.350 --> 00:15:11.649 head back home and then meet up with her friends 00:15:11.649 --> 00:15:14.149 at the swimming spot. And, yeah, it seemed like 00:15:14.149 --> 00:15:17.179 she would have. done this before hitchhike until 00:15:17.179 --> 00:15:19.659 she got a ride or until she just walked back 00:15:19.659 --> 00:15:23.179 finally so yeah extremely normal for this time 00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:27.000 but in 2026 you hear of a 16 year old hitchhiking 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:30.779 and immediately you get on edge yeah so to to 00:15:30.779 --> 00:15:36.820 start off this timeline I think it sounds completely 00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:40.820 normal for that moment in time and for how she 00:15:40.820 --> 00:15:42.919 was navigating her life it sounded like a normal 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:47.360 day her being dropped off to pick up some missed 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.940 schoolwork for driver's ed, and continuing on 00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:55.059 with her day. It sounds all normal to me. But 00:15:55.059 --> 00:16:00.360 shortly after the timeline starts, it also ends, 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:03.860 and the normalcy about it ends. There are people 00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:08.039 who see her hitchhiking, they spot her around 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:12.789 town, and then her body is found. It's a little 00:16:12.789 --> 00:16:15.269 shocking to know that this happened in the middle 00:16:15.269 --> 00:16:18.889 of the day, even with it being in an isolated 00:16:18.889 --> 00:16:22.610 rural area. It's still a spot that's visited 00:16:22.610 --> 00:16:24.970 by maintenance workers with some regularity. 00:16:25.049 --> 00:16:28.590 To me, it feels like she was attacked in an impulsive 00:16:28.590 --> 00:16:31.730 moment of opportunity for whoever her killer 00:16:31.730 --> 00:16:36.950 was. Yeah, the timeline is very tight from the 00:16:36.950 --> 00:16:39.610 moment she leaves the high school and is seen 00:16:39.610 --> 00:16:42.419 walking to... ultimately when her body is found 00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:47.240 just hours later. She's last seen at 9 .15, and 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:51.460 the workers arrive and discover her body just 00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:55.639 before 11 .30 a .m., so very tight window. And 00:16:55.639 --> 00:17:00.700 I would agree that this appears to be a crime 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:04.180 of opportunity without having, like, more evidence 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:13.750 or more connections to lean on. saw Lori hitchhiking 00:17:13.750 --> 00:17:16.150 in a vulnerable position, could get them in her 00:17:16.150 --> 00:17:21.849 car, and then took off. So it's a very tight 00:17:21.849 --> 00:17:24.349 timeline. And considering how many people saw 00:17:24.349 --> 00:17:26.450 Lori, like, kind of walking and heading home, 00:17:26.589 --> 00:17:31.440 it's surprising. That we don't have, that we 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.579 know of, a direct witness that saw her get in 00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:35.880 a car. So we don't know what type of car she 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:39.079 might have gotten into. Make, model, color, anything. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:42.240 We have no idea besides a general intersection. 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:46.819 Just quickly pivoting back to the discovery of 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:50.640 Lori's body. I think it's worth mentioning that 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:54.460 even though Lori was not sexually assaulted, 00:17:54.819 --> 00:17:58.819 like ultimately that's what was ruled, the state... 00:17:59.049 --> 00:18:03.849 that her body was found in, to me, still screams 00:18:03.849 --> 00:18:07.690 that this was a sexually motivated crime. I don't 00:18:07.690 --> 00:18:10.529 really understand why her body would, particularly 00:18:10.529 --> 00:18:13.549 her clothes, why they would be in those positions 00:18:13.549 --> 00:18:17.809 if the crime was not sexually motivated. But 00:18:17.809 --> 00:18:20.569 the removal of the clothes into those positions 00:18:20.569 --> 00:18:26.210 was for a reason. And it makes the discovery 00:18:26.210 --> 00:18:29.440 of her and knowing that she wasn't assaulted 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.380 that much more confusing and equally horrifying. 00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:38.160 Yeah, it does still feel sexually motivated due 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:41.200 to the state of her clothes when they found her 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:45.299 body. Without knowing, you know, the true perpetrator, 00:18:45.380 --> 00:18:50.220 we can't know, like, was this just the act was 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:52.900 interrupted by a car, you know, something happened, 00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:56.210 he got spooked, he ran. Or was Lori fighting? 00:18:56.349 --> 00:18:59.990 And that's just how it ended. It's obviously 00:18:59.990 --> 00:19:04.730 all speculation, and we have no idea. But I would 00:19:04.730 --> 00:19:08.309 agree that there was sexual motivation behind 00:19:08.309 --> 00:19:14.750 this act. As the investigation begins and there's 00:19:14.750 --> 00:19:18.930 media coverage of what's happening, just in Elgin 00:19:18.930 --> 00:19:24.339 in general, it makes sense to me that... The 00:19:24.339 --> 00:19:28.259 other case about the young girl whose life was 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:33.180 taken, that she was murdered, it makes sense 00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:37.900 to me that as media coverage began on Lori's 00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:42.180 case and the investigation started, that the 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:44.940 two cases were possibly connected. And the other 00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:47.660 case that I'm talking about is the one that happened 00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:52.059 relatively close in... Lori's timeline, the girl 00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:55.299 who was shot and killed, it makes sense to me 00:19:55.299 --> 00:19:57.859 that they were connected by both the public and 00:19:57.859 --> 00:20:02.940 media. I know that law enforcement wasn't making 00:20:02.940 --> 00:20:07.079 those connections, but really, I think at the 00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:09.980 time it would be hard not to publicly make those 00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:13.759 connections. Yeah, and Rose Whitney, that's the 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:17.720 other girl's name. That is a case that I'm interested 00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:20.980 in looking into. I discovered it looking into 00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:24.559 Lori's case. But yeah, you know, if I lived in 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:28.619 Elgin or South Elgin at this time, I would be 00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:31.339 nervous to think that is there somebody on the 00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:33.759 loose that's, you know, going after teenage girls. 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:38.200 Their cases are different. You know, Lori was 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:43.299 ultimately killed due to a blunt instrument. 00:20:44.730 --> 00:20:47.650 beating from the blunt instrument. The other 00:20:47.650 --> 00:20:51.470 girl was shot, but where they are similar, they 00:20:51.470 --> 00:20:56.369 were very quick timelines, meaning that they 00:20:56.369 --> 00:20:58.130 were both killed that same day. And I believe 00:20:58.130 --> 00:21:01.009 it makes complete sense that the residents, the 00:21:01.009 --> 00:21:03.650 media, like, looked at these two with a connection. 00:21:04.430 --> 00:21:10.190 Now, moving on to the men and teenager that were 00:21:10.190 --> 00:21:15.059 charged with this crime initially. I don't really 00:21:15.059 --> 00:21:20.359 know. There was a lot of information and I don't 00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:24.299 know what to make of it all. I don't understand 00:21:24.299 --> 00:21:27.039 how the connection to the car was made in the 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:31.099 first place. And to me, it sounds like law enforcement 00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:36.220 was really looking for someone to, you know, 00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:38.839 to take the fall for this crime and maybe these 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:42.349 people. kind of fit the profile or their car 00:21:42.349 --> 00:21:45.690 did or what was in their car did but ultimately 00:21:45.690 --> 00:21:48.250 it sounded like a stretch to me and we know that 00:21:48.250 --> 00:21:53.549 those charges were dropped so um I don't know 00:21:53.549 --> 00:21:59.089 the uh this whole case is so heartbreaking and 00:21:59.089 --> 00:22:04.430 very hard to digest I don't really know what 00:22:04.430 --> 00:22:07.630 to make of how things ended and how things are 00:22:07.630 --> 00:22:11.690 going now I I'm grateful that you brought this 00:22:11.690 --> 00:22:16.289 case to our attention, but I'm kind of at a loss 00:22:16.289 --> 00:22:21.269 of what to think now. Yeah, you know, the four 00:22:21.269 --> 00:22:26.829 men and then the teenager, they came on police's 00:22:26.829 --> 00:22:31.309 radar the day after Lori's murder because they 00:22:31.309 --> 00:22:34.970 were accused of stealing a car battery. And then 00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:39.220 blood in their car led them to look at... Lori's 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:43.519 case, and that's why that all happened. And part 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:46.700 of those arrests, too, could have been politically 00:22:46.700 --> 00:22:52.680 motivated. The state attorney who eventually 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:56.220 dismissed the charges. Said that, you know, this 00:22:56.220 --> 00:22:58.220 was done on purpose by the person right before 00:22:58.220 --> 00:23:00.599 him who, you know, would have been voted out 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:04.240 of office like just weeks before that. That it 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:06.500 was all by the former state attorney to put this 00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:08.400 big mess and give him a case that he could never 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:12.759 prosecute. So there was suggestion that it was 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:15.640 just politically motivated to like kind of give 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:19.160 this like. bad case to the new state attorney. 00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:22.000 I'm not entirely sure. I didn't go down that 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:28.079 rabbit hole very far, but it's a murder case. 00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:30.859 Somebody's murder case should never be used for 00:23:30.859 --> 00:23:34.039 any political reason. There should only be concrete 00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:36.400 answers and justice. There should be no games 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:39.420 played, no runarounds, no this and that, like 00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:42.759 not with this, not with a murder, not with somebody's 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:46.869 life. Don't play all that. Like, it makes me 00:23:46.869 --> 00:23:52.390 feel nuts because it wastes time and energy behind 00:23:52.390 --> 00:23:54.910 the case. Like, right after all those charges 00:23:54.910 --> 00:23:56.990 were dismissed, it just feels like all the energy 00:23:56.990 --> 00:24:01.849 behind Lori's murder just flattened, just nothing. 00:24:02.009 --> 00:24:05.529 Like, people didn't seem to demand answers in 00:24:05.529 --> 00:24:09.789 the same way. So I really want answers in Lori's 00:24:09.789 --> 00:24:12.940 case. I think. that there could be answers in 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:15.819 Lori's case. I think somebody does know something. 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:19.460 Somebody knows what happened to her, and I want 00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:22.400 energy behind her case, and I want people asking 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.920 about her. So again, if you know anything about 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.339 the murder of Lori Bulger in June of 1976, please 00:24:30.339 --> 00:24:34.119 call the Elgin Police Department at 847 -289 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:39.230 -2653. And we will have pictures of Lori on our 00:24:39.230 --> 00:24:42.309 Instagram at coldandmissing where we also post 00:24:42.309 --> 00:24:45.390 other... missing person cases or other updates 00:24:45.390 --> 00:24:47.450 in cold cases just throughout the country. So 00:24:47.450 --> 00:24:50.430 it's a great resource for just general true crimes 00:24:50.430 --> 00:24:53.009 in cold cases and missing people. So please, 00:24:53.069 --> 00:24:55.390 if you're not following us already, follow us 00:24:55.390 --> 00:24:58.049 there. Also, if we ever need to take a week off 00:24:58.049 --> 00:25:00.549 unexpectedly, we'll always post updates on our 00:25:00.549 --> 00:25:02.930 Instagram. So at cold and missing, give us a 00:25:02.930 --> 00:25:05.869 follow. 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We also have 00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:45.700 transcripts, official transcripts that are all 00:25:45.700 --> 00:25:50.339 spell checked and put correctly on our website 00:25:50.339 --> 00:25:53.220 as well. But that is all I have for you today. 00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:56.039 Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing. 00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:58.359 I'm your host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.680 Eli. Have a good week and stay safe, y 'all. 00:26:00.980 --> 00:26:01.900 Stay safe, y 'all.