Calumet City IL, Gena Chiodo, 42

[earl]

Gena is a friend of a friend of mine.


Police chief: We have a person of interest in case of missing Cal City woman

Oct. 20, 2012
Gregory Tejeda
Times Correspondent

CALUMET CITY | Police have a "person of interest" in the disappearance of a Munster hair stylist with hope remaining to find her alive, according to Police Chief Ed Gilmore.

Gilmore said that police learned new information Friday night that "changed the direction of our investigation completely."

Calumet City police had intended to have local residents assist them in searching the forest preserves for Gena Chiodo, a Calumet City resident. But Gilmore told about 40 people gathered Saturday at River Oaks Ford, 281 River Oaks Drive, their efforts were not needed Saturday morning.

Gilmore told those people their efforts may be needed at a later time.

"Anyone who is interested, we will contact them as we mobilize again," he said.

Gilmore said more information on the case may be available later today at the police station.

Gilmore declined to provide much detail about the person of interest, saying "we still hope we will find her alive."

Chiodo, 42, of the 1300 block of Price Street, was last seen at her home Oct. 13, police said.

Chiodo's car was left at her home along with the keys to the vehicle.

Police are uncertain what clothing she was wearing when she went missing and whether she was carrying any cash.

By Friday, the missing person's case became a criminal investigation and Gilmore said police suspected foul play may have been involved in Chiodo's disappearance.

Sharon Meek, a neighbor, said Friday morning the case has her concerned.

"I just hope they find her and she's all right," Meek said. "It's a quiet neighborhood."

Heather Boren, the manager of the Munster Super Cuts, had praise for Chiodo, who worked as a hair stylist there for 10 years, until she left in September for another salon.

"She was awesome. Clients here absolutely loved her," Boren said.

Boren said Chiodo does not have children and had family living in Florida.

Chiodo is described as white, 5 feet 4 inches tall and about 145 pounds. She has brown eyes and blond hair.

Donna Wuchter passed out fliers in Chiodo's neighborhood Friday hoping to receive some news of her longtime friend.

"I don't think it looks good," Wuchter said of the chances of finding Chiodo safe. "If she was alive, she would have contacted somebody. There's no way she would just leave and not contact somebody."

Wuchter said Chiodo was employed by a hair salon in Munster before she went missing a week ago.

Wuchter said she and a group of friends planned to search today in a wooded area near 159th Street and Wentworth Avenue in Calumet City. It is not known at this time if that search has been called off as well.

The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is now the lead agency in the investigation.

Police are asking anyone with information regarding Chiodo's whereabouts to call Calumet City police at [phone] or the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force at [phone].

www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/calumet-city/police-chief-foul-play-suspected-in-disappearance-of-cal-city/article_a0ec1d57-2e52-5429-b895-2bc92401f1b0.html#.UIG5lnystiw.facebook

[earl]

Boyfriend was physically abusing Gena.... previous convictions for domestic battery involving another woman, armed robbery and drug-related charges. Sad woman stay with these criminals.


Police: Boyfriend faces murder charge in case of missing woman

8 hours ago • Greg Tejeda Times Correspondent

CALUMET CITY | A 42-year-old man will face criminal charges after police said Saturday they believe he killed his live-in hairstylist girlfriend.

Donal E. Clark, of the 1300 block of Price Street, was charged Saturday night with murder and concealment of a homicide for what police say is the death of Gena Chiodo, who lived with Clark.

....When officers checked out her house, they initially received no response. But officers refused to leave as they heard someone moving about. When they forced their way in, they found Clark — who had been sleeping and claimed not to have heard the officers knocking.

Gilmore said the officers saw “evidence of foul play” about the house, although he refused to specify what that evidence could be.

Clark was taken into police custody at that time, although charges were not approved by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office until Saturday night. Gilmore could not say whether Clark would appear on Sunday at the Criminal Courts building in Chicago for a bond hearing, or whether his initial court appearance would be Monday at the 6th District courthouse in Markham.

Clark has not admitted any wrongdoing.

Gilmore said Clark has been unable to give police any indication of where Chiodo’s body might be.

“I can’t say he’s cooperating at this time,” Gilmore said. “We don’t have a good place to target a search” for the body.

.....Some people who say they knew Chiodo have made comments alluding to the possibility that she was being physically abused by a boyfriend.

Gilmore pointed out that among Clark’s criminal record is a conviction on a charge of domestic battery involving another woman. Gilmore said Clark also has been found guilty in the past of armed robbery and several drug-related charges.

Debbie Wood, another friend, said she feared the worst all along because of the length of time since she has heard from Chiodo. “Gena would not ‘not’ call us unless something was wrong,” Wood said.

Chiodo had established close relationships with many of her clients whose hair she regularly cut. Some of those customers were among the people willing to help search for her on Saturday.

“I’m willing to spend whatever amount of my time it takes to help find her,” said Lansing resident Cheryl Cheek.

www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/munster/police-boyfriend-faces-murder-charge-in-case-of-missing-woman/article_30261ccc-b1fb-50c7-8738-99a57b9c3962.html

[earl]

Coroner ID's body found near Lowell as missing Cal City woman

December 03, 2012 4:30 pm •
Gregory Tejeda Times Correspondent

CALUMET CITY | Police said Monday a body found during the weekend near Lowell was that of a woman missing since early October who police suspected was killed by her live-in boyfriend.

The body of Gena Chiodo, 42, was found by a hunter Sunday in a wooded patch about 1,500 feet from U.S. 41. Her body was identified through dental records Monday, Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey said.

Chiodo’s boyfriend, Donol Clark, 42, who lived with Chiodo in a house on Price Avenue in Calumet City, has previously been charged with murder and concealment of a homicide – even though officials did not have a body.

Police said at the time of Clark’s arrest that physical evidence inside the house indicated a violent struggle had taken place.

Calumet City Police Chief Edward L. Gilmore said Monday that having the body strengthens the criminal case, although he would not say if that meant more criminal charges would be filed against Clark.

Clark is being held without bond at the Cook County Jail.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez reportedly was to have a press conference Tuesday to discuss that issue.

Assistant Calumet City Police Chief Dan Zorzi said Lake County Sheriff's Department authorities contacted investigators from his department Sunday afternoon.

The body was found by a hunter who happened to stumble across the remains wrapped in a bed sheet, Gilmore said. The cause of death, Frey said, was major blunt force trauma.

Frey said her forensic anthropologist is continuing to examine the body and will have a more detailed account in coming weeks of the type and number of wounds she sustained.

“We’ll continue to work closely with the forensic anthropologist to solve this case,” she said.

Gilmore said there were signs of defensive wounds on the body’s hands, indicating a struggle and that she was attacked.

The area where the body was found was east of U.S. 41 southwest of Lowell. Gilmore said it was not an area searched by his officers and friends of Chiodo following her disappearance.

He said it was isolated enough it was fortunate that weather conditions in recent weeks had been mild. More severe weather, including snow, might have complicated the situation.

“It’s not an area that people traipse through on a daily basis,” Gilmore said. “Had there been more winter-like weather, the ground would have been covered more and it might have taken a lot longer before we discovered a body.”

Neighbors of Clark and Chiodo told The Times the couple owned a boat and would often use it to go sailing on lakes near Lowell.

Gilmore would not say whether police used records of Clark’s cellphone use to confirm he was in the Lowell area at the time in October when police believe Chiodo was killed. But he said such tactics are often used in criminal investigations.

“We used all investigative methods available to us,” he said.

Gilmore said he was pleased to have an identification because, “it offers a closure for the family.”

But he admitted that when his officers were initially notified by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at about 2:45 p.m. Sunday that a body was found, he was skeptical that it was Chiodo.

“A part of me would have preferred it not be her so that there might still be a chance she was alive,” Gilmore said.

Times Staff Writer Lauri Harvey Keagle contributed to this report.

www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/calumet-city/coroner-id-s-body-found-near-lowell-as-missing-cal/article_eeee9c0a-b9f5-529b-bfaf-25dc5f1417d3.html#.UL6t6cs237A.facebook

[Pawleys]

I'm sorry to read this news, Earl.


My condolences to Gena's family, and her friends.

[meme]

So sorry Earl, about your friend

[Reality]

Very sad but what I don't understand is how these abused women continue to live with these abusers.

Why don't the Men in the families of these women get themselves involved and sort these dogs out ?

It is really quite simple, visit the abuser when he is alone, give one warning which will be his first and last warning and if he touches her again, take action quickly and ruthlessly.

Is this effective ?

Yes, very very effective.