The Illinois State Police are putting a haunting local mystery back under the microscope, dropping a new podcast episode on July 17, 2026 that digs into the still‑unidentified woman pulled from the Skokie River in 2003. Host Brendan Kelly and narrator Bill Kurtis walk listeners through forensic details and interviews with investigators as detectives retrace the case, contrast new tools with old evidence, and ask the public if anyone recognizes the victim or the belongings that were found with her.
The agency rolled out the episode in a Facebook reel on July 17, 2026, noting that the latest installment is now streaming and zeroes in on how investigators used investigative genetic genealogy and other modern tools to chase down leads. See the announcement from the Illinois State Police on Facebook, and find listening options on the podcast hub from the Illinois State Police.
Episode revisits the 2003 Skokie River discovery
The episode returns to the discovery of human remains floating in the Skokie River on July 12, 2003, south of Willow Road in the Erickson Woods/Skokie Lagoons stretch between Northfield and Winnetka. According to an Illinois State Police press release, the unknown woman was estimated to be between 20 and 39 years old at the time of discovery, stood about 5‑foot‑2, had long dark hair, and wore black Lycra bicyclist shorts along with a distinctive scorpion ring. She also had a four‑unit porcelain‑metal dental bridge that investigators hope could be the detail that finally connects her to a name. Those specific descriptions are being pushed out again so that someone, somewhere, might recognize them.
Genetic genealogy is central to the episode
In the Illinois State Police social media post, investigators explain that they turned to investigative genetic genealogy to develop new leads, including, according to the post, the identification of a man after about 14 years. Forensic genetic genealogy pairs high‑resolution DNA analysis with family‑tree research and has been credited with cracking cold cases around the country. Recent Illinois examples are highlighted by CBS Chicago, while industry reporting from Othram digs into how these techniques work. The episode walks listeners through how those methods are applied in real investigations and what limits detectives run into when they are working with older, sometimes fragile evidence.
How to share information
Officials say anyone with information connected to this case can submit a tip through the ISP online portal or call ISP Troop 3 at 847‑294‑4400. The Illinois State Police press release and the episode both direct listeners to the ISP tips portal, where people can provide information either anonymously or with their name attached.
