Although information has been relatively limited to the primary burst of attention at the time of the event, this page is intended to remain in place as a source of details surrounding the violent death of Irma Rodriguez of Oak Forest, Illinois.
Name of victim: Irma Rodriguez
Date and Time of discovery: Monday, June 1, 2009 late afternoon/early evening
Location of discovery: Midlothian, Illinois
Location of event: Undetermined
Current Known Evidence: body found in the trunk of a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate T I T A 6 early Monday evening Monday, June 1, 2009. Ms. Rodriguez was reported missing on Sunday, May 31, 2009 to the Oak Forest Police Department.
Scenery Observations: There has been some reference to the driver of the Grand Am travelling westbound from the scene towards St. Damien’s Church in Oak Forest. The driver would have two main options for an exit intended to eventually end at the church.
One would have forced the driver to first travel amongst a heavily populated neighborhood in order to reach a major artery (Cicero) that has to be crossed in order to leave Midlothian and arrive in Oak Forest. The other way to reach Cicero is to climb over a fence separating the residential area from the businesses along Cicero. It should be noted that pedestrian traffic along Cicero Avenue is highly uncommon primarily due to unfriendly sidewalk conditions and that crossing the avenue at any point other than the intersections with stoplights is difficult, especially during rush hours.
The death of Irma Rodriguez of Oak Forest, Illinois and the subsequent discovery of her body in the trunk of her car in Midlothian, Illinois on Monday, June 1, 2009 has the following headlines associated with her case. Most of the links are taken from Topix so that you can gain further insight into the case through the running commentary about the event unless otherwise noted and is sorted by the most recent first.
Violent past, slain wife — but no arrests
Jul 7, 2009 | Chicago Sun-Times
Two days before Irma Rodriguez was to be in court for a hearing in her divorce case, she disappeared from her Oak Forest home
Jun 17, 2009 | Behind The Blue WAll
Irma Arroyo Rodriguez …[Murdered] Irma Rodriguez’s youngest child and her sister wrote they are “terrified of Norberto Rodriguez”… Southtown Star By Kristen Schorsch kschorsch@southtownstar.com June 17, 2009 [Excerpts] The family of Irma Rodriguez, an Oak Forest mother of three who was found shot dead in the trunk of her car earlier this month, …
[IL] Norberto Rodriguez, where are you? w/Photo
Jun 11, 2009 | Behind The Blue WAll
He does not know where [slain Irma's husband, ex-Chicago Police Officer] Norberto Rodriguez is… Investigators are asking witnesses who might have seen someone driving Rodriguez’s car – a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate TITA 6 – or walking away from the vehicle…
SLAIN OAK FOREST MOTHER HAD TROUBLED PAST WITH ESTRANGED HUSBAND
(This entry is provided by http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2009/06/il-norberto-rodriguez-where-are-you.html – it should be noted that although the reference link leads to a 404 page on the news media’s website, much of the information contained within these entries is consistent with newspaper print versions already published by the Southtown Star)
Southtown Star
By Lauren Fitzpatrick
June 5, 2009
[Excerpts] Police won’t name any suspects in the brutal murder of an Oak Forest mother found stuffed in the trunk of her own car. The Southtown Star has unearthed troubling details about the husband she was divorcing, a man her neighbors and relatives have not seen in days, a convicted drug dealer who once shot her and threatened to do so again.
“He threaten to … if I come back he’ll shoot me again,” Irma Rodriguez wrote on a 2001 petition for an emergency protection order. “I’m very fearful for my life and my children.”
Oak Forest acting police chief David DeMarco told the Southtown Star officers had before been called to the Rodriguez home in the 15400 block of Alameda Drive, but would not say how many or what kinds of calls they responded to.
Norberto Rodriguez, 49, has not been named as a suspect in his estranged wife’s disappearance and death. In fact, Norberto Rodriguez has not been seen around the neighborhood in Oak Forest, his last known address, nor could he be reached at several phone numbers listed to his name.
No one has been charged, and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and Oak Forest police are keeping mum about their investigation, except to say they distributed fliers Thursday to dozens of homes around 148th Street and Kilpatrick Avenue. DeMarco said police do not have any new developments.
He does not know where Norberto Rodriguez is, emphasizing that police continue to gather as much evidence as they can. Investigators are asking witnesses who might have seen someone driving Rodriguez’s car – a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate TITA 6 – or walking away from the vehicle, specifically toward St. Damian Church near 155th Street and Long Avenue in Oak Forest, to call police.
In five years, Norberto Rodriguez went from Chicago police officer to convicted heroin dealer. During an argument about flowers an ex-girlfriend sent him for his birthday in 1997, he shot his wife through the hand. Police said at the time that Norberto Rodriguez threatened to kill himself and his wife during the confrontation. Though Rodriguez was acquitted of all charges, including attempted first-degree murder, the incident cost him his job… [Full article here]
A NICE LADY FOUND DEAD IN A CAR TRUNK
(This entry is provided by http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2009/06/il-norberto-rodriguez-where-are-you.html – it should be noted that although the reference link leads to a 404 page on the news media’s website, much of the information contained within these entries is consistent with newspaper print versions already published by the Southtown Star)
Southtown Star
Phil Kadner
June 5, 2009
[Excerpts] …Norberto Rodriguez, a former Chicago police officer, was arrested in 2002 and convicted in 2004 of conspiring to distribute four kilograms of heroin.
A rented car Rodriguez was driving from California was stopped by Illinois State Police in LaSalle County and, according to a Drug Enforcement Agency agent, Rodriguez agreed to let the trooper inspect the trunk.
A black briefcase was found with four packages that turned out to be heroin. Rodriguez cooperated with police and helped lead them to two other men involved in the drug deal, at one point wearing a hidden wire, authorities said. Rodriguez went to prison in May 2004 and was released in January 2007, according to federal prison records. Although Irma had been shot in the hand and threatened by her husband before his drug arrest, she still bailed him out of jail on the heroin charges… [Full article here]
POLICE CALL ON WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD IN OAK FOREST WOMAN’S SLAYING
(This entry is provided by http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2009/06/il-norberto-rodriguez-where-are-you.html – it should be noted that although the reference link leads to a 404 page on the news media’s website, much of the information contained within these entries is consistent with newspaper print versions already published by the Southtown Star)
Southtown Star
By Kristen Schorsch
June 4, 2009
[Excerpts] …The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force continues to investigate Rodriguez’s death. Wednesday, acting Oak Forest Police Chief David DeMarco called on any witnesses who might have seen someone driving Rodriguez’s car – a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate TITA 6 – or anyone walking away from the vehicle to contact police.
“That’s where they’re really focusing all their attention on,” DeMarco said, adding that police have no suspects. He did not know if the task force has talked to Rodriguez’s estranged husband, Norberto Rodriguez.. Without a report of neglect or abuse to a child, a state Department of Children and Family Services spokesman said law prevented him from saying anything about Rodriguez’s two minor children, including whether they remain at their home.
Besides the eighth-grade boy, Rodriguez also has a daughter who will be a senior at Oak Forest High School this fall and an older son in his 20s. Funeral arrangements are pending… [Full article here]
Authorities finally ID woman’s body in trunk
Jun 3, 2009 | WGNTV Chicago
Searching for evidence in the shooting death of an Oak Forest woman whose body was found in the trunk of her car, police on Tuesday drained a creek and sifted through trash outside a church.
Woman’s body found in trunk – Family says mom of 3 was missing since Sunday
Tribune reporters John Byrne and Angela Rozas and freelance reporter George Houde contributed to this report. Tribune reporter
June 3, 2009
Searching for evidence in the shooting death of an Oak Forest woman whose body was found in the trunk of her car, police on Tuesday drained a creek and sifted through trash outside a church.
Body in Car Truck… Missing Mom?
Jun 2, 2009 | MyFoxChicago
A woman whose body was found in a car in south suburban Midlothian Monday night was shot multiple times and her death has been ruled a homicide, according to a Tuesday autopsy.
Body, missing mom’s car found in Midlothian
Jun 2, 2009 | WGN-TV Chicago
A woman’s body and a car matching the description of one belonging to a missing Oak Forest woman was found Monday night on a Midlothian street.
Body Found In Midlothian May Be Missing Woman’s w/Photo
Jun 2, 2009 | CBS2
Jun 2, 2009 8:25 am US/Central MIDLOTHIAN, Ill. Authorities believe a body found in this car in Midlothian may be that of Irma Rodriguez, 44, of Oak Forest, who has been missing since Sunday.
