She Went to a Store and Vanished. It Took 30 Years to Learn the Unexpected Truth

She Went to a Store and Vanished. It Took 30 Years to Learn the Unexpected Truth

A girl went to a store just a few minutes away from her house, but she never came back. The police started their search, and over the course of the investigation, they uncovered some pretty strange clues. Still, the mystery remained unsolved for decades, until the truth came out in a completely unexpected way.

Christy Wesselman was born on April 19th, 1970, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She lived there with her mom, two older brothers, and a sister. Their town was considered one of the safest in the area, and Christy loved spending time outside.

She’d spend hours wandering the streets with other kids from the neighborhood. At school, Christy was popular and had a lot of friends. She was actively involved in school life and even got elected as vice president of her class. On top of that, she played volleyball and softball.

In the summer of 1985, 15-year-old Christy was taking summer classes at school and spent most of her free time hanging out with friends. On July 21st, Christy came home from school around 3:30 p.m.

Right after getting home, she decided to walk to a local store to grab a soda and a chocolate bar for herself and her mom. Her mother expected her back in just a few minutes since the store was close by.

But as time went on, it became clear something was wrong because Christy wasn’t coming home. At first, her mom thought she might have run into some friends and gone off with them. Back then, there were no cell phones, so she couldn’t check in with Christy and had no choice but to wait.

As evening set in, her worry only grew. She called Christy’s friends, but none of them had seen her that day. Growing desperate, she headed to the store herself, scanning the streets along the way, but there was no sign of Christy anywhere.

Christy’s family spent the next several hours searching for her, but when there was still no sign of her by 1:50 a.m., her mother decided to contact the police.

Officers quickly joined the search, starting by piecing together Christy’s last known movements. First, they spoke with the clerk at the store she’d visited. The man knew Christy well, lived nearby, and had even babysat her when she was younger.

He confirmed that Christy had come by around 4:00 p.m., picked up some chocolate bars, and left. She didn’t mention where she was headed, but the clerk noted that she seemed happy and nothing about her behavior struck him as unusual.

Police also found a few other witnesses who had seen Christy at the store, but none of them could recall where she went after that.

Investigators spoke to all of Christy’s friends, considering the possibility that she might have lost track of time while hanging out with some of them, but none of her friends had seen her that day.

The police then focused all their resources on the search and began combing through the streets, but by that time, it was already the middle of the night, making the search even more challenging. Despite their determination, there was no trace of Christy, no clues, no leads, nothing.

The search continued through the early morning, and by midday, a new group of officers took over. One of them suggested trying to retrace Christy’s likely route. He guessed that she had probably taken the shortest path from her house to the store: a shortcut through a nearby field.

Back then, there was a large vacant lot with tall grass between the residential area and the store. Walking around it would take quite a bit of time, which wasn’t an issue for adults driving cars, but local kids who frequented the store or the nearby McDonald’s always took a shortcut through the field, where a narrow path had been worn into the grass.

The detective decided to follow this trail. As he made his way along it, something unusual caught his eye in the grass.

Pushing through the overgrowth, he realized it was a human body, and he quickly recognized Christy. He immediately called for backup, and the body was handed over to the medical examiners for further analysis.

Forensic specialists combed through the crime scene for any evidence, but their search came up empty. No footprints, no personal belongings, nothing to help explain what had happened.

The medical examiners determined that Christy had died from eight stab wounds. They also found evidence of sexual assault and collected the perpetrator’s biological material.

However, in 1985, DNA testing was still in its infancy and not commonly used in criminal investigations, so with no way to analyze it, the sample was stored for future use.

Christy’s mother also helped police piece together another interesting detail: Christy had been wearing a pearl ring on her finger that day. However, the ring was nowhere to be found, neither on her body nor at the crime scene.

Detectives concluded that the killer might have taken it and instructed all officers to keep an eye on pawn shops in case the murderer tried to sell it.

With no physical evidence to work with, the police focused on finding potential witnesses who might have seen Christy or the killer near the field. They managed to track down several people who had used the same path around the estimated time of the murder, but none of them reported seeing anything suspicious.

It was quite weird, because Christy’s body was just a few yards off the trail, although it was hidden by the tall grass, making it nearly impossible to spot.

Investigators also learned that just a few dozen yards from where Christy’s body was found, a family had been hosting a barbecue in their backyard. But despite being so close to the scene, none of them remembered hearing or seeing anything out of the ordinary.

An employee at a gas station about 60 yards from the field also worked his entire shift that day, but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

To the police, the situation seemed bizarre. So many people had been near the crime scene, yet no one saw or heard anything.

Investigators theorized that the unknown attacker either followed Christy from the store to the field or encountered her on the path. He likely led her just a few yards into the tall grass and killed her, all without making a sound.

Detectives considered the possibility that Christy might have known her killer, which could explain why there were no screams. After all, their town was small and many residents knew each other.

Police began investigating all the men who knew Christy, but this effort led nowhere. They also compiled a list of men in the area with prior convictions for violent crimes. Several suspects were reviewed, but none of them could be tied to the murder.

For several months, the police made little progress in solving the mystery. They continued following up on tips and investigating new suspects, but every lead brought them to a dead end. This dragged on for three long years, until an unexpected breakthrough came in 1988.

By that time, DNA analysis was becoming a key tool in criminal investigations. Detectives decided to collect DNA samples from everyone who had been a potential suspect in Christy’s case over the years.

Many agreed to cooperate, and none of their samples matched the biological evidence found at the scene. But there was one person who refused to provide a DNA sample.

Dana Henry, a 34-year-old man living near the field where Christy was found, had been on the police’s radar from the first days of the investigation. At the time, Henry denied having anything to do with the crime, but now his refusal to give a sample made detectives seriously question his innocence.

The police decided to seek a court order to obtain his DNA. Henry appeared at the court hearing and continued to insist, “I am innocent.” However, he was charged with contempt of court and held in a local jail cell for several days. Only after that did Henry agree to provide his DNA sample.

In the end, his DNA didn’t match the killer’s sample, and Henry was released.

Once he was out, he told reporters, “I was held in a jail cell without clothing, and I was only released after giving in to the immense pressure and reluctantly agreeing to provide a sample.”

Henry said he spent around $50,000 on legal fees, a significant amount of money at the time. He had to mortgage his home, which he eventually lost, and many of his friends and family turned their backs on him.

Frustrated and angry, Henry filed a lawsuit against the police department, but it didn’t seem to lead anywhere. Even after DNA evidence cleared his name, some people still believed he was guilty.

Years later, Henry admitted to reporters, “The whole ordeal has ruined my life, even though I was never formally charged with a crime.”

For another year, Christy’s case remained at a standstill, until 1989, when an unexpected twist brought it back into the spotlight.

A judge issued a restraining order against a local man who had been bombarding the victim’s family with tips about who he believed was responsible for Christy’s murder.

The man, named Willis, first contacted Christy’s relatives in late 1985. He claimed to have information about the killer’s identity and started sending them various leads.

Each tip was investigated by the police, but every time it turned out to be either far-fetched or completely irrelevant to the case. This dragged on for almost four years, until Christy’s family couldn’t take it anymore.

They filed a complaint, and a judge issued an order barring Willis from ever contacting them again. Following the restraining order, police decided to investigate Willis himself, but they found no evidence linking him to the crime.

In 2000, the killer’s DNA was uploaded to the FBI database, but no matches were found. The case remained cold for many years. From time to time, the police revisited it, following up on tips, but they never got any closer to catching the killer.

This went on for three entire decades. Over the years, the original detectives had all retired or moved on, and Christy’s case had been assigned to a new team.

Then, in 2015, something completely unexpected happened. One day, they got a notification from the FBI database: the DNA sample from Christy’s killer perfectly matched a recently uploaded profile.

The DNA belonged to a 62-year-old man named Michael Jones, who lived in a small town called Champaign, about 150 miles from Christy’s home.

Jones’s DNA was added to the database after he was arrested for domestic violence. His wife had reported him to the police, which led to his arrest.

According to an Illinois law passed in 2002, anyone suspected of a crime has to provide a DNA sample.

Interestingly, the main advocate for this law was the state’s attorney from the same county where Christy’s murder took place, and this particular unsolved case had been a major factor in his push to get this legislation passed.

As soon as the DNA match came through, investigators jumped into action, looking into Michael Jones. The first thing that stood out was that his name had never been mentioned in the case before. He wasn’t a suspect, a witness, or even someone remotely connected to the investigation. The detectives simply hadn’t known he existed.

Michael Jones had a long criminal history. His first run-in with the law came in the mid-70s when he assaulted a woman, but for some unknown reason, he apparently avoided any real consequences.

Just a year later, Jones attacked a 27-year-old woman, assaulted her, and left her in a hospital parking lot. When police issued a warrant for his arrest, Michael turned himself in.

During his trial, he expressed deep regret for his actions and claimed, “I have a great respect for the law, which is why I surrendered voluntarily.”

Jones also insisted that he suffered from serious mental health issues and needed professional help. However, an independent psychiatrist determined that he was fully aware of his actions. As a result, Jones was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.

As you might have guessed, he was released early for good behavior. He ended up serving just six years of his sentence and was back on the streets by 1983, two years before Christy’s murder.

What’s even more striking is that his victim wasn’t informed of his early release. Later, she stated, “Had I known, I would have done everything in my power to challenge the decision.”

A year after his release, Michael got married, but in 1994, his first wife left him and secured a restraining order against him. The reason: he had been showing an unhealthy interest in one of her young relatives. But despite this alarming behavior, no formal charges were ever filed.

In 1999, Michael was arrested again, this time for assaulting a family member of his new girlfriend.

Detectives also learned that Michael often went on long solo motorcycle trips and frequently visited relatives in Chicago. Given that Christy’s town was on the outskirts of his route, it’s possible he passed through the area while traveling to see his family.

If that was the case, it would explain why he never appeared on the detectives’ radar. If Michael was just passing through for a few hours, tracking his presence would have been nearly impossible.

Christy’s mother said she had never heard his name before. When police first called her to ask about Michael, she didn’t think much of it.

Over the past 30 years, investigators had contacted her many times with questions, so this just felt like another routine inquiry.

But everything changed when police obtained a fresh DNA sample from Michael while he was in prison and confirmed once and for all that he was the killer. They visited Christy’s mother in person to deliver the news: after all these years, the man responsible for her daughter’s murder had finally been caught.

Before formally charging Michael with Christy’s murder, detectives spoke with his ex-girlfriend and uncovered more details about him.

She described Michael as someone with a volatile temperament, saying, “He could be calm one moment and then suddenly fly into a rage for no apparent reason.” She also mentioned that he was obsessed with detective books and crime shows on TV.

This information led investigators to suspect that Michael might not just be responsible for Christy’s murder, but potentially other unsolved crimes as well. His frequent solo trips, criminal tendencies, and fascination with crime stories hinted that he might have known how to cover his tracks and avoid leaving evidence behind.

After building their case against Michael, police officially charged him on September 18th, 2015, and Michael denied any involvement in Christy’s murder.

The case eventually went to court, but the wait dragged on for three long years. The trial didn’t start until 2018.

Prosecutors sought a life sentence, but in the end, Michael decided to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. As part of the deal, he wasn’t required to reveal any details about the crime, but with the DNA evidence, there was no question about his guilt.

As a result, the judge sentenced him to 80 years in prison with a possibility of parole no earlier than 2095. In other words, Michael will likely never walk free again.

Christy’s family thanked the investigators for finally bringing the case to a close.

Christy’s mother also expressed her frustration over Michael’s early release in 1983, pointing out, “If he had served his full 10-year sentence, he wouldn’t have had the chance to attack my daughter, and Christy would still be alive today.”

Henry, the man initially suspected of the crime, also attended the trial of the real killer. In a later interview, he shared that the accusations had ruined his life and even decades later, he still hadn’t fully recovered.

He hoped that seeing justice served would help him heal, but it didn’t. Henry also revealed, “Throughout all these years, no one from the police department ever apologized to me, let alone faced any consequences for the damage they had caused to my life.”