IL IL - Regina Costellia, 19, Herrin, 3 June 1979

This is an old cold case that needs some attention from my fellow Sleuthers, I ran her name in WS search and found no link or info about her. Any insight would be much appreciated in this disturbing unsolved mystery

Sunday morning , June 3rd, 1979 two men discovered the body of 19 year old Regina (Oliver) Costellia of Herrin, Illinois. The two men were looking for a place to fish when they stopped the car near the creek and saw the body hanging from one arm which had caught between a bridge girder and the bridge floor. Her belongings were found to have been dumped just north of the bridge and the body had attempted to be dumped in the creek but appeared to have gotten lodged in the steel framework. More on this bizarre story can be found here.

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/investigation-continues-in-cold-case-murder-of-herrin-woman/article_88fef083-0df1-5e6d-bd56-b0f7364f4371.html


http://www.mihp.org/2014/03/1979-the-cold-case-murder-of-regina-costellia/

Thanks for posting about this case, Lil'E. It is an interesting one. Back in 1979, several suspects were under investigation. Apparently the evidence didn't pan out, but I'd like to know who they were, anyway.

For anyone who's interested in sleuthing this one, there is a lot of information in the articles at the second link in Lil'E's post. And from the 2008 article at the other link:

Investigation continues in cold-case murder of Herrin woman
June 03, 2008 12:00 am • Tara Fasol, The Southern

HERRIN - The nude body of Regina Oliver Costellia, 19, of Herrin was found dangling by the arm off Market Street Bridge in Marion on Sunday, June 3, 1979. More than 29 years later, her killer has not been brought to justice and although her case has gone cold, the investigation continues.

"We are trying to track down a family member for comparison testing," said Master Sgt. Stan Diggs of Illinois State Police District 13 in Du Quoin. "That case is still open. We are in the process of doing some DNA techniques that weren't available back when she was found."

Diggs said there are leads in the case that have kept law enforcement reopening the old file, but he declined to elaborate on those details.

(cont. at the link)

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interesting...wonder what she was doing when she kept leaving the party with her son for short intervals?


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Shamrocker99 said:

interesting...wonder what she was doing when she kept leaving the party with her son for short intervals?

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Some folks on a different site that attended the children's birthday party commented that cigarette smokers had to go outside and keep it away from the kids, perhaps this could explain her leaving the house.

Master Sgt. Stan Diggs said the case was recently reopened and investigations turned up what seemed to be new evidence of DNA on Costellia's body. Diggs said police used Facebook to find her son, who was 2 years old at the time of her death, and requested a DNA sample to match against the one found.

Diggs said it was disappointing to find the DNA on Costellia was her own, leaving law enforcement again with no leads. Diggs said although the most recent lead turned up nothing new in the case, law enforcement will remain vigilant in searching for clues and asking the public to come forward with any information concerning this or any other cold-case murders. Anyone with information is asked to contact Illinois State Police at 618-542-2171.

On FB there is a group Crime Watch in Marion. We listed this story recently looking for any leads. None so far.

Welcome to Websleuths jordiesgg!

I hope everyone at Crime Watch in Marion can come up with some new ideas. Just a guess, but it sounds like local LE have an idea who the killer is, but didn't have enough evidence to prosecute. Such a shame their DNA lead didn't work.

jordiesgg said:

On FB there is a group Crime Watch in Marion. We listed this story recently looking for any leads. None so far.

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Did they do a toxicology report during autopsy. I want to know if they found cocaine in her system.

:+:MrTT:+: said:

Did they do a toxicology report during autopsy. I want to know if they found cocaine in her system.

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Cocaine? I was thinking weed or a cigarette. Not sure if the date rape drug was prevalent in 1979.

I seem to be a few years late to this post, but hopefully someone sees this - Regina was my 3rd cousin, she was killed 2 days before my mother's 7th birthday. I've tried for many years to find information online about her case, but always end up back in the old Marion news archives. I grew up in the area but live out of state now, and intend on doing better sleuthing when I come to visit - but I'm so interested in what anyone has to say on this - how many people outside of little Williamson county have heard of her story? I don't seem to know much more than what's already been commented, but again - hopefully someone will see this & spark the conversation again

phantasm said:

I seem to be a few years late to this post, but hopefully someone sees this - Regina was my 3rd cousin, she was killed 2 days before my mother's 7th birthday. I've tried for many years to find information online about her case, but always end up back in the old Marion news archives. I grew up in the area but live out of state now, and intend on doing better sleuthing when I come to visit - but I'm so interested in what anyone has to say on this - how many people outside of little Williamson county have heard of her story? I don't seem to know much more than what's already been commented, but again - hopefully someone will see this & spark the conversation again

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It's a very sad story, hopefully you and your family will find answers some day.

On the positive side, at least you have local LE (ISP)
who is willing to do all they can to solve this case.

These days, it seems a good way to draw attention to a cold case murder is to see if you can get one of the big true crime podcasts to cover the story. It can bring more attention to the case. Who knows, it might put pressure on the killer, too.

This story, from the link above, seems a little odd

Merle Dillow of Carbondale told officers Monday that he gave the young mother of a two year old boy a ride in his car from Herrin to Carterville. He said he and some friends took Mrs. Castillia to Herrin from the Carterville Dairy Queen where she had gone from a birthday party at the home of David Hampton of Carterville. He said he let her out of his car at the corner of Cherry and South 16th Streets.

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Is there some backtracking in that route?

1. Around 7:30 pm Regina drops off her son at her parents' home in Herrin, IL. She's driven there by a friend, Molly Forquer

2. Allegedly goes to a party in Carterville, IL (about 6 miles away at the home of David Hampton). Was she driven there by Dillow and friends or by Molly Forquer?

3. Around 11:30 pm, Dillow says he and friends gave Regina a ride from the party in Carterville to a street corner in Herrin, IL (why didn't he just give her a ride home?)

$. Regina's body discovered the next morning around 7:30 am on South Market St, Marion, IL. That's about 12 miles from the street corner in Herrin, IL where Dillow claims he dropped her off.

Dr. Thompson, a pathologist who examined her body said there was no indication of sexual assault. (Did he test for semen or just do a visual examination?)

Did Mr. Dillow say why he dropped her off at the street corner in Herrin? Did she tell him if she planned to meet someone there? If so, whom? Did she plan to meet up with someone she had seen at the party?

It seems unusual that there was no sexual assault. Her clothes had been removed and left nearby. Her body was nude. Why would a man kidnap and kill a woman, then dump her body over a bridge if SA wasn't involved? Anger about something? Revenge? Strangling requires strength and control. It is sometimes considered a personal, hands-on form of killing.

It's reported that her ex-husband was out of town at the time Regina was murdered. Was his alibi checked? Were any of his close friends at the party that night? What was her relationship like with her ex-husband and his family? Did she have problems with anyone prior to the night of the party and murder?

As a relative, will whichever LE agency has Regina's file allow you to read through it? If so, can you make notes of any details, tips, etc. that hadn't been discussed before?

Can you view the AR to make sure a thorough exam was done to rule out sexual assault? Sometimes the SA evidence can be in other pieces of clothing, not necessarily on underwear, etc. It can be on a shoe or shirt, etc. Othram and their affiliates might be able to assist in examining Regina's clothing or other evidence for traces of DNA. IIRC, some of their partners are affiliated with SE Missouri University in Cape Girardeu, MO which isn't far away from the Carbondale/Marion area.

Has LE gone back to re-interview any witnesses from that night? Sometimes stories and alibis can fall apart years later. Someone who was persuaded to lie for a friend, partner or relative may no longer feel the need to protect them.

These are a few suggestions. I hope you have some success. Do as much homework as you can before you leave on your trip. Take notes, etc. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!


ETA: Don't assume everything that LE discovered in the initial investigation is the solid truth. No reflection on them, but there are probably some people who lied and got away with it. It sounds like LE focused on people who drove around with Regina and attended the party. You may want to consider the report that Regina's friends dropped her off at a corner in downtown Herrin that night is false. JMO, I would assume that probably didn't happen. If it did happen, it's possible there were people from the party who followed Regina with the intent to victimize her.

Also, here's a link for Othram.

A tip was called in to the Williamson County Sheriff stating that the tipster (a businessman) knew something about the murder. He was parked in a bank parking lot in downtown Herrin that night. He hung up before the sheriff could ask any questions.
Here's a link to Google Maps of the intersection where Regina was allegedly dropped off after the party

Link to article in a June 13, 1979 newspaper reporting on the tipster

This article from June 3, 2009 states that Regina left the Carterville party at 10:30 pm with 4 other people who were headed to Berra's Tavern in downtown Herrin. Some witnesses said Regina was wearing a blue t-shirt at the party promoting Berra's Tavern.

Regina Coatellia (Oliver) was a 19 year old female who was a single mom to a two year old. Her nude body was found hanging in Marion Illinois off a steel bridge on early morning of Sunday in June of 1979, it appeared she had been strangled before being overthrown the bridge into the creek, which her arm got stuck which resulted in two fishermen finding her body.
I have two theories in mind the Timothy Krajcir who at the time resided in Carbondale Illinois as an EMT which he assault and murder his woman victims he was also known as the blue bandit killer
Tommy Lynn Sells aka the coast-to-coast killer who has been linked to murders in and around the same area.
It is still unresolved to this day.
Southern Illinoisan, June 4, 1979, Page 1. via Newspapers.com (Private Article Clipping - Newspapers.com™ : accessed January 10, 2024), clip page for cold case by user DelightfullyChaotic1

My theories of this crime I believe are either
.Timothy Wayne Krajcir aka the blue bandit killer located in Carbondale also an EMT Driver
Tommy Lynn Sells aka the coast-to-coast killer as he has been linked to crimes in the same area.
The timelines I have researched so far shows they weren't incarcerated at the time and were committing crimes around the same time in the same areas or nearby.

BY TARA FASOL THE SOUTHERN HERRIN — The nude body of Regina Oliver Costellia, 19, of Herrin was found dangling by the arm off Market Street Bridge in Marion on Sunday, June 3, 1979. More than 29 years later, her killer has not been brought to justice and although her case has gone cold, the investigation continues. “We are trying to track down a family member for comparison testing,” said Master Sgt. Stan Diggs of Illinois State Police District 13 in Du Quoin. “That case is still open.

We are in the process of doing some DNA techniques that weren’t available back when she was found.” Diggs said there are leads in the case that have kept law enforcement reopening the old file, but he declined to elaborate on those details. Preliminary investigations in 1979, noting the marks around her throat, ruled Costellia’s official cause of death strangulation. The bridge where her body was found stands over Crab Orchard Creek. Gravel and dirt on her skin suggested that Costellia’s assailant attempted to roll her body off the bridge and into water below. Her arm became caught on a steel support girder during the fall.

Had her arm not gotten caught, her disrobed body would Investigation continues in cold-case murder of Herrin woman SEE MURDER / PAGE 2B.
FROM PAGE 1B have fallen nearly 10 feet into the creek. The Southern Illinoisan reported in 1979 that Costellia attended a party in Carterville with her 2-year-old son the night of her death. Partygoers told police, at that time, that Costellia left the party on a number of instances and stayed gone, with her son, for several 30- minute time spans. As the night grew darker, Costellia, who had no vehicle, and her son allegedly found a ride back to her parents’ house. She then left her son at that residence, which was near the apartment where the two lived alone.

Then-Williamson County Sheriff Jerald Kobler told reporters her parents never saw who she left with or the type of vehicle she left in. Eyewitnesses placed Costellia at the Carterville residence shortly after but could not tell investigators if she was with anyone. She reportedly left around 10:30 p.m. with four other people, headed to Berra’s Tavern in Herrin, a bar she allegedly frequented. Reports in 1979 said patrons of the tavern claimed Costellia often came into the bar with her young son; they described her as smiling and talking with everyone.

A description given by witnesses to law enforcement after the murder included the possibility that Costellia was wearing a blue T-shirt promoting the tavern when she left the Carterville party. Then-Williamson County Coroner James Wilson said she was strangled between midnight and 12:20 a.m. Costellia’s purse and pair of blue jeans were found down the road from the bridge. The rest of her clothing, including the blue T-shirt, was never found. Detectives were in contact with the woman’s estranged husband, Terry L.

Costellia, after her death. Interviews with law enforcement in 1979 suggested the relationship between the couple was chaotic. They were married in June of 1976. Regina’s sister, Mary McKane, said in a 1979 interview that they separated in July 1978. Regina had completed her sophomore year of high school before getting married and later having a child.

She never returned to school. High school classmates of the woman described her as reserved with Pentecostal- style clothing. They said her dress and personality changed after her marriage to Terry, who was several years older than Regina. Diggs said he is unable to comment on the details of any new findings because the case is ongoing. He is also unable to comment as to whether police now believe the victim might have known her assailant or if any information lends to the fact that the person might still live locally.

tara.fasol@thesouthern.com 351-5824 DETAILS Recently, the IIllinois State Police opened up a number of cold cases throughout Southern Illinois. Regina Costellia, 19, of Herrin is one of many that are now subject to advanced testing that was not available at the time of the crime. Ongoing cold-case investigations include: William HH. Peters 27, of Carbondale : Peter’s body was found washed up on a sandbar of the Mississippi River on Jan. 23, 1972.

The body was bound with rope and showed evidence of several gunshot wounds, including a gunshot wound to the head. Keith LL. Brown, 334, of Buckner : Brown’s skeletal remains were located in a hay field near Crab Orchard Lake on June 29, 1993. Preliminary investigations led police to believe he had been shot several times. Derek Moss, 222, oof Mount Vernon : Moss was found dead in his residence on June 27, 1995.

He died as the result of apparent gunshot wounds. MURDER: Investigation continues on cold case of Herrin woman.
Southern Illinoisan, June 4, 2008, Page 8. via Newspapers.com (Private Article Clipping - Newspapers.com™ : accessed January 11, 2024), clip page by user DelightfullyChaotic1

I was told a name that apparently people assumed did it or thought did it a Charlie Hodge? That's the first time I've heard a name of someone who people around the area at the time thought did it or assumed done it. He is apparently deceased and has been for awhile i also heard.

delightfullychaotic said:

Recently, the IIllinois State Police opened up a number of cold cases throughout Southern Illinois. Regina Costellia, 19, of Herrin is one of many that are now subject to advanced testing that was not available at the time of the crime.

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Thank you, this is very good news; the same for the families of the local men whose murders are unsolved. So nice of the ISP to launch this project.

yes then after mentioning the name again another person said yeah that's who i heard too i guess he owned a bar called hurleys and was very mean what Charlie hodge wanted he got with no questions asked or ever looked into for that reason.

Betty P said:

Thank you, this is very good news; the same for the families of the local men whose murders are unsolved. So nice of the ISP to launch this project.

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delightfullychaotic said:

yes then after mentioning the name again another person said yeah that's who i heard too i guess he owned a bar called hurleys and was very mean what Charlie hodge wanted he got with no questions asked or ever looked into for that reason.

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Sounds like the kind of guy no one wanted to cross. If so, LE probably had a hard time getting any witnesses to talk.