Unsolved on Chicago’s South Side: The Cases of Wright, Gulley, Bohanan, and Ward
Between 2016 and 2017, four young Black residents of Chicago’s South Side disappeared or were killed within a 15-month span — all within blocks of the same neighborhood. Their names are Joanna Wright, Marlo “Chris” Gulley, Chante (Shante) Bohanan, and Kenosohn “Ken” Ward.
Their stories are rarely told together.
Their cases are rarely mentioned in major media.
And every single one of them remains unsolved.
Today, we are telling their stories in one place — not because their pain needs to be sensationalized, but because their lives matter, their families matter, and silence serves no one except those who get away with harm.
The Neighborhood That Became a Pattern
The Chicago Lawn / Marquette Park area is a tight-knit community on the South Side — families, friendships, generations of connection. And yet, between July 2016 and October 2017, something disturbing happened.
Four people vanished or were killed within a few blocks of one another:
- 64th & Campbell
- 64th & Talman
- Marquette Park
- Just east on 92nd Street, where one victim was later found
These weren’t strangers from different worlds. Their social circles overlapped. Their locations overlapped. Their timelines overlapped.
But somehow… their cases never connected — at least not officially.
Kenosohn “Ken” Ward – July 2016
On July 13, 2016, 21-year-old Kenosohn Ward was shot multiple times in Marquette Park.
No suspect was ever named publicly.
No arrest has ever been announced.
For Kenosohn’s family, life split into two timelines: before and after.
Chante (Shante) Bohanan – July 2016
Just 11 days later — July 24, 2016 — 20-year-old Chante Bohanan disappeared near 64th & Campbell. Loved ones say she called someone saying she was being held at gunpoint.
Her body was found three days later, discarded in a garbage container miles away in the Chatham neighborhood.
Chante’s case has never been solved.
Some people close to her quietly believe she may have been targeted because she witnessed Ken’s shooting. Others mention fear, retaliation, and the way people go silent when violence is too close to home. Police have never publicly confirmed any link.
Joanna Wright – December 2016
On December 18, 2016, 33-year-old Joanna Wright was seen near 64th & Talman — witnesses say two men forced her into a car.
No one ever saw her again.
No press conferences.
No suspects released.
No follow-up headlines.
Joanna is still missing.
Marlo “Chris” Gulley – October 2017
On October 9, 2017, 26-year-old Marlo Gulley visited a friend near 64th & Campbell. He left briefly, saying he was going to meet someone nearby.
He never made it back.
Like Joanna’s case, Marlo simply vanished — no confirmed sightings, no recovery, no arrests, no answers.
Four People. One Neighborhood. Zero Resolutions.
After eight years:
- Ken’s murder is unsolved.
- Chante’s murder is unsolved.
- Joanna’s disappearance is unsolved.
- Marlo’s disappearance is unsolved.
It is statistically abnormal for four unrelated violent cases in the same area — within the same social radius — to produce no charges and no conclusions.
The families have privately wondered the same thing for years:
Did these cases get overlooked because they happened in a lower-income Black community?
It’s a painful question.
But it’s also an unavoidable one.
The Families Left Behind
When a case goes unsolved, the victim isn’t the only person who disappears — closure disappears too.
Four families are still grieving without answers. Four sets of parents, children, siblings, and friends still lie awake asking:
- Why didn’t somebody see something?
- Why haven’t witnesses come forward?
- Why weren’t these cases given urgency?
These families are not asking for miracles — just truth.
Why We’re Telling These Stories
At Vanished Voices, we believe every missing and murdered person deserves:
- a name
- a story
- a platform
- and a community that refuses to forget them
When violence is allowed to fade into silence, the cycle repeats.
When we say their names, we keep their cases alive.
If You Know Something — Even Something Small
You don’t need proof.
You don’t need certainty.
You don’t need to “solve the case.”
Sometimes the smallest detail is the key investigators have been missing.
If you have any information about the disappearances or deaths of Joanna Wright, Marlo Gulley, Chante Bohanan, or Kenosohn Ward, please contact:
Chicago Police Department — Area 1 SVU
(312) 747-8380
Anonymous email to CPD:
cpdtip@chicagopolice.org
Or remain anonymous through Crime Stoppers:
(800) 535-STOP
Someone knows the truth.
It’s time for these families to get it.
Have thoughts on this story or other cases you’d like to see highlighted? Share them with us in the comments or connect with us on social media. Together, we can ensure that stories like this one are never forgotten.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, @VanishedVoicesPod, share your thoughts, and let us know what you’d like to hear about in future episodes. If you have any true crime stories of your own, send them our way Vanishedvoicespodcast@gmail.com to be featured on a future episode. And as always, Refuse to let these voices vanish. See you in the next episode of Vanished Voices.
Resources
City Bureau & Invisible Institute. (2024, January 12). Delayed missing person cases. South Side Weekly. https://southsideweekly.com/delayed-missing-person-cases/ South Side Weekly
Facebook. (n.d.). MY NAME IS JOANNA WRIGHT: When I was 33 years old on December 18, 2016 … [Facebook post]. https://www.facebook.com/TheVividFacesoftheVanished/posts/my-name-is-joanna-wright-when-i-was-33-years-old-on-december-18-2016-i-was-walki/823280786672738/ Facebook
Garcia, J. (2017, October 25). Missing man last seen at South Side house noted in other disappearances. ABC 7 Chicago. https://abc7chicago.com/post/missing-man-last-seen-at-south-side-house-noted-in-other-disappearances/2567732/ABC7 Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago. (2016, July 28). Body found in Chatham garage identified as missing woman. https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/body-found-in-chatham-garage-identified-as-missing-woman FOX 32 Chicago
Charley Project. (n.d.). Joanna Wright. https://charleyproject.org/case/joanna-wright Charley Project
True Case Files. (2019, July 13). The mysterious murders & disappearances in Chicago Lawn. https://www.truecasefiles.com/2019/07/the-mysterious-murders-disappearances.html
NBC Chicago. (2018, September 19). Joanna Wright missing: Marquette Park, Chicago. NBC Chicago. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/joanna-wright-missing-marquette-park-chicago/35680/
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (2021, April 12). Missing Person / NamUS #MP36576. U.S. Department of Justice. https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP36576
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (2021, April 12). Missing Person / NamUS #MP41148. U.S. Department of Justice. https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP41148
Cook County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d.). Joanna Wright. https://cookcountysheriffil.gov/person/joanna-wright/
Case Files Chicago. (2018, August 13). Case Files Chicago – Ken Ward, Shante Bohanan, Joanna Wright & Marlo Gully. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEWARyyFKXk