IL IL - Jerrica Laws, 25, Park Forest, 17 Aug 2015

Jerrica Laws

"Photo: Family members say Jerrica “Ric Ric” Laws, 24, had undiagnosed mental disability. Laws was last seen in Park Forest on Sunday evening."
JERRICA LAWS, 25, REPORTED MISSING IN PARK FOREST
"PARK FOREST, Ill. (WLS) -- Police are looking for a woman reported missing from her home in south suburban Park Forest.

Jerrica Laws, 25, was last seen walking along a trail behind her home on Monday, according to her family. They said she has never gone missing before."
http://patch.com/illinois/chicagoheights/police-search-missing-park-forest-woman
http://abc7chicago.com/news/woman-25-reported-missing-in-park-forest/948581/

I hope she's found safe. The article I read said she's know to wander around town - I hope she didn't encounter someone who took advantage of her.

Jerrica Laws is Missing
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jerrica-Laws-is-Missing/941955545864190?fref=nf

PARK FOREST POLICE CONTINUE SEARCH FOR MISSING JERRICA LAWS


http://abc7chicago.com/news/park-forest-police-continue-search-for-missing-jerrica-laws/953424/

https://www.facebook.com/parkforest...18378.105980322812132/898501883559968/?type=1
Park Forest Police Department

Missing Person Update 9/3/2015: Jerrica Laws

The Park Forest Police Department is still actively investigating the Missing Person complaint of Jerrica Laws.

Jerrica Laws, also known as "Ric Ric", was last seen walking in the 200 block of Lee St., Park Forest, on Sunday, August 16th, at 7pm. Laws was reported missing by family members on 8/18/15 at 6pm. Laws is an African American female, 24 years of age, 5'2" tall, 140 lbs., a single piercing in each ear, and last seen wearing a dark colored shirt. The family has indicated that Laws has an undiagnosed mental disability. Laws is known to walk around in the Villages of Park Forest and Matteson. She attends church in the city of Kankakee, Illinois, and has family in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Park Forest Police Department has obtained the assistance of the Chicago Police Department Helicopter Unit to conduct fly-overs of the area, the assistance of a Search and Rescue Dogs of Illinois K9 unit to conduct area searches, the assistance of the ILEAS Mobile Field Force to conduct an area canvass and a check of vacant homes in the Lincolnwood neighborhood, and volunteers to conduct area searches of wooded areas and opens spaces. This is in addition to the numerous searches and canvasses already conducted by Park Forest Police Patrol and Investigations Units.

While we do not have evidence that suggests foul play and there is nothing illegal about an adult voluntarily leaving, the Park Forest Police Department takes this Missing Person report very seriously and is concerned about Ms. Laws' whereabouts, as the family reports that her absence and lack of contact is highly unusual and fear for her safety. If you have any information about the whereabouts of Jerrica Laws, please call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Unit at (708) 748-1309. Please help by sharing this information.

Jerrica has been added to NamUs.
https://findthemissing.org/en/cases/show/30216
Case Information
Status Missing
First name Jerrica
Middle name Lizette
Last name Laws
Nickname/Alias
Date last seen August 17, 2015 12:00
Date entered 09/15/2015
Age last seen 24 to 24 years old
Age now 24 years old
Race Black/African American
Ethnicity
Sex Female
Height (inches) 61.0 to 62.0
Weight (pounds) 140.0 to 145.0
Dental Status: Dental information / charting is available and will be entered later
DNA Status: Sample is currently not available
Fingerprint Information Status: Fingerprint information is available and entered

KateB said:

Jerrica Laws is Missing
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jerrica-Laws-is-Missing/941955545864190?fref=nf

Click to expand...

Current post says she's still missing five months later.

Jerrica, you are NOT forgotten. I spoke to your mother recently online and she misses you deeply, and is committed to finding you. You are a beautiful soul. You are loved. We will not stop searching for you. I have submitted you to every missing persons site I can, and your name rings in my mind. You matter. Your absence is felt, always, and you will not fade away. I promise not to forget. We will keep searching until you are found. You are on my mind, Jerrica. You will NOT be forgotten. Be strong Jerrica. We will never stop searching. I may not know you myself, but I keep you close to my heart. You are NOT forgotten.

Missing so long with such little attention

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

Now in Charley Project: Jerrica Lizette Laws – The Charley Project

Details of Disappearance
Laws was last seen in Park Forest, Illinois at 7:00 p.m. on August 17, 2015. She went for a walk on a trail behind her home in the 200 block of Lee Street, leaving her purse and identification behind, and has never been heard from again.

Laws's family described her as a homebody and a churchgoer, and stated she had an undiagnosed mental disability. She enjoys walking in Park Forest and Matteson, Illinois and attends a church in Kankakee, Illinois, and she has family in the Indianapolis, Indiana area.

She does not drive and it's uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Her case remains unsolved.

"It just hurts so bad," said Shantinel Howard, as she struggled to find words after getting a glimpse of her daughter's mural. "I just got overwhelmed looking at her picture back there and how talented Damon is to capture her."

Artist draws attention to cases of missing women with vibrant murals


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Shantinel Howard’s daughter, Jerrica Laws, was last seen on Aug. 16, 2015, when she left her Park Forest home for a walk. Howard insisted police investigators haven’t “put all their stock” into finding her daughter, who she described as “a God-fearing young lady.”

“The detectives really didn’t believe me when I said she didn’t have a boyfriend, she didn’t have Facebook, she didn’t have Snapchat or Twitter,” Howard said of her daughter, now 30. “That wasn’t her type of life. But because she was an adult, they didn’t take what I feel [were] the necessary steps to look for her. Because they said she can willingly leave.”

Howard said it took more than three years to get police officials to go through the “proper channels” to search for her daughter, instead of merely logging her DNA and other information. Her frustrations came to a head again recently, when she learned police officials weren’t checking morgues for her daughter as they assured her they would.
“The system is broken,” she said. “And ... no mother, father, sister, brother, whomever … [should] have to go through this. It hurts too bad.”

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More of article at link.

Jerrica Lizette Laws lived in Forest Park, Illinois. Jerrica, nicknamed "RicRic,” moved from Forest Park to Indianapolis and Spencer, Indiana for two years, but eventually returned to Illinois in 2015. Her family members describe her as a "homebody" who enjoyed church and didn't go out to bars or nightclubs, according to the Facebook page, Jerrica Laws Is Missing.

On Sunday, August 16, 2015, Jerrica and a friend went to a local Chipotle Mexican Restaurant. After their meal, the friend dropped 24-year-old Jerrica off back at home. Around 7:00 pm, Jerrica left her house to go for a walk on the trail behind her home, reports ABC 7 Chicago. She left her purse, identification, and money behind. Namus reports that Jerrica frequently took walks, so this behavior was not out of the ordinary for her. Jerrica Lizette Laws has never been seen or heard from again.

BY ERIKA MARIE
MARCH 8, 2021

​

A mystery has plagued the Park Forest, Illinois community for over five years. On Sunday, August 16, 2015, Jerrica Laws reportedly left her home in the Park Forest area to take a walk before meeting up with an unidentified person. It’s unclear how long she intended to be away from home, but the FBI reports that she didn’t take a purse, money, or identification with her at the time. No one has had contact with the then-24-year-old since.



According to Jerrica’s family, she has an “undiagnosed mental disability” and had recently moved to Park Forest after living in Indiana for two years, specifically in the Indianapolis and Spencer areas. The National Missing & Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) reports that Jerrica Laws would regularly take walks, so her activity on the day of her disappearance wasn’t abnormal. However, none of the reports or investigative agencies have shared any information into the possible identity of the person she was meeting with that day.

Reports also state that Jerrica wasn’t the type of young adult who was actively involved in the bar or club scene. She’s described as a “homebody” who enjoyed going to church. Her loved ones have set up the Facebook Page Jerrica Laws is Missing where they update the public about any new information about her case. Please visit and consider sharing their posts to help bring Jerrica home.



At the time of her disappearance, Jerrica Laws stood 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed between 140 and 145 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair (medium-length or shoulder-length) and brown eyes. Jerrica doesn’t drive and her middle name is “Lizette.” Any distinguishing characteristics have not been shared and the FBI’s website reports that she doesn’t have dental records on file. She would be 29-years-old at the time of this publication