More than 44 years after two 17-year-old girls were found dead in a suburban forest preserve, Morton Grove police have sent evidence out for advanced DNA testing, as the victims’ loved ones continue to press investigators on their efforts and question why it’s taking them so long to solve this crime.
On Sept. 5, 1979, Eyvonne Bender and Susie Ovington were headed to a shopping center in Morton Grove when they vanished. A search party discovered their bodies in a nearby forest preserve later that night. More than four decades later, their families are still waiting for answers.
“It’s frustrating,” said the girls’ classmate Tom Sprague, who has spearheaded a renewed push to solve the crime. “It’s just so slow and we can’t get any information from the police department.”
Morton Grove police said they’ve reviewed the case several times over the years: in the early 2000s, followed by a cold case investigation in 2005, then starting fresh in 2020. A spokesman for the department said Thursday that police have recently offered to speak directly with the families about their efforts.
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But the families have cast doubt on the police work, noting that department’s own timeline of the investigation shows gaps with seemingly little action taken for years at a time. The families also say they’ve learned little from police, despite repeatedly asking for updates on the case.
NBC 5 Investigates previously filed an open records request with Morton Grove to see the case file and learn exactly what steps police have taken in the decades since the crime.
When that request was denied, NBC 5 filed a lawsuit alleging the village violated the Freedom of Information Act. That court case is still ongoing.
Last week, Morton Grove police sent evidence to a lab in Florida that specializes in DNA testing on old and degraded surfaces. That update came two months after the Morton Grove Village Board approved the funding.
After decades of delays, Sprague again questioned why it took so long between that approval and when the evidence was sent. A Morton Grove police spokesman said investigators needed to have their “ducks in a row,” which included coordinating with other labs to ensure the testing’s admissibility.
Sprague said there’s hope this latest step will yield results – but highlighted his and the families’ frustration.
“This is not just an Ovington and Bender family issue,” Sprague said. “This is about the people of Morton Grove and the surrounding communities. If you’re someone that lives in one of those communities and God forbid something happens to one of your loved ones, your son, your daughter - is this the police department you want investigating their murder? I don’t think so.”
“I think it’s time the people of Morton Grove rise up and demand more from their government and more from their police department,” he added. “The people of Morton Grove deserve better than this.”
As Susie and Eyvonne’s families wait, the reward for information leading to an arrest has grown to $20,000.
“People know what happened, not just one person, I think multiple people know,” Sprague said. “We just need people to talk.”
“Everyone is still very, very hopeful that this can get solved,” Sprague said.
Anyone with information on the case can call (847) 663-3815 to speak directly to a detective or submit a tip anonymously via the hotline at (847) 663-3828. Tips can also be shared by emailing tipshotline@mortongroveil.org or tips@cookcountycrimestoppers.org.
