63 | Girl Gone Running: Alma Mendez
Intro
Song
Housekeeping
Hello I am your host kayla and this is the very first episode of girl gone running. A series that i did not intend to do on my own, but life got in the way as it usually does and instead of scraping this idea, I decided to embrace challenges and move forward on my own.
To give a brief background and what to expect here, this is different from my usual content but because I am a runner this subject sits really close to my heart and of course I want to talk about it. So what started out as an idea for just telling the stories of women who had been murdered while running on trails or in the forests, that pretty quickly came to feel wrong. And so while it is not fully on brand with this podcast theme I decided that I will tell every murdered runner’s story no matter how much information is out there. Which means some of these stories will be short.
Welcome to the very first episode of the Girl Gone Running Series. This is a 12 week series where i will be releasing an additional episode each week. Subscribers will have access to all 12 episodes - non-subscribers will have access to 8, so every 3 episodes will be locked. I plan to do periodic releases depending on how my schedule looks.
Intro to Alma
Alma Mendez was a vibrant and lively mother, sister and daughter. She worked hard in her job as the office manager of a dental office, she loved her children, and was active in her church.
Blessed with kind eyes and a friendly smile, Alma was always the first person to greet others and help to make them feel welcome. She was happy and despite some stress, she did all she could to be a good mother and friend and sister.
Alma’s children were all older, I couldn't find their ages, but I do know that the youngest was old enough to be left alone, and she was actually expecting her first grandchild in just a month.
At 37, Alma was making some life shifting changes, such as helping her family cope with her mother’s brain aneurysm and divorcing her husband, Conrad Mendez, of 19 years - she had actually separated from him in early October of 2007.
but something she did not alter was her daily runs at Sauk Trail Lake south of downtown chicago near Chicago Heights. This area is about 30 miles south of downtown chicago and is kind of a lower-middle class area.
The Sauk Trail Lake is inside the Cook County Forest Preserve. And from what I could tell from reading about the Preserve online, it kind of has different sections that are separate from each other but there are trail systems that connect these different areas of the preserve.
One of those trails is the Sauk Trail which is a paved 23.5 mile loop that encompasses a 29 acre lake. Surrounding the lake are beautiful pines and giant oak trees and it is really a calming and happy place to be.
The section of the preserve that Alma was going to had 3.5 miles of this loop that within its section and part of that loop was on that same trail that took you completely around the lake. Which - also - is seems weird to me to define 29 acres as a lake. It is kind of easy for me to visualize what 29 acres looks like because I know that my home sits on 5 acres, and so do both of my neighbors, so if I double our properties and think of that as water - my mind doesn’t comprehend that that size is considered a lake when we live so close to the great lakes.
A lake is defined as a naturally occurring, fixed, inland body of water.
Timeline
Alma normally ran in the early morning hours before work, but on October 28, 2007 Alma drover her 2005 Ford Freestyle SUV to the preserve and parked in the parking lot and started her run sometime between 1 and 2 pm in the afternoon. She had a habit of calling her sisters while she was on her way to the park and talking to them for at least part of her run.
On this sunday, Alma first called her sister Jessie and they talked until about 1:15 pm as someone arrived at Jessie's home. About a half hour later, Jessie returned Alma’s call but did not get an answer.
It was at about 2 pm - so maybe ever the same time that Jessie was calling her, that Alma called her friend Star Garcia, and left her a voicemail that basically said hey call me back I have something important to tell you. Which could mean anything.
Back home, as the sun began to set, her family began to get a little unsettled. Alma was never late without reason, and this was 2007. She had her cell phone on her and it was really odd that she hadn’t called to say she was running late or that she was stopping to do something.
Without being able to get ahold of her, Alma’s son called his aunt, Maria Lopez, who was a sister of Alma, and she is who called to report Alma missing.
They reported that she had been wearing
Police, while there’s this idea that they won’t do anything until a person has been missing for 48 hours, that is not always the case. When police when to the preserve, which was her last known location, they found her car - which told them she was either still in the park or she left with someone else. Her family insisted that if she left the park it was by force, she wouldn’t abandon her family willingly.
With this information the search was launched immediately, people were questioned and asked to come forward with information, and while initially there were no signs of Alma being in the park besides her car being parked there, that would soon change.
From 8pm that Sunday to 3:30 am, dozens of volunteers, family members and police arrived in the preserve to search for Alma. Police brought dogs with them to search - I am not sure if they were scent dogs or cadaver dogs, but they didn’t signal much of anything.
Which we have talked about dogs before and their sense of smell and the frustrating thing for search dogs is that the more smells there is in an area, the harder it is for them to find the one they are looking for. It’s contaminated.
As soon as the sun was up again, they returned to the park and continued to search until the sun again went down, this time not just with people on the ground, but helicopters in the air as well.
On October 30, —- saw a body floating about 15 feet from the bank in the water of Sauk Lake. As people began to charge toward the water, hopeful that the person floating would either not be alma, or would be alma alive, they found that it was the body of a woman, and she was wearing blue..
Before police arrived, volunteers began trying to get into the water to retrieved the body - which you should never do because police need to process the scene. Unless someone is clearly alive and struggling and you have the education and skill to perform a rescue - but if someone appears to be deceased, you need to let police process the scene. The more people who get involved the more likely evidence is going to be contaminated and ruined or disappear all together.
Sonia Chavez, who was searching for her friend Alma, was there when she heard the shouts of the body being found in the water. And she was able to confirm that this woman was Alma.
According to the autopsy, Alma had suffered from several severe blunt force trauma injuries and her throat had been sliced open - not just once but several times. And then Alma was placed in the water. Alma’s body was pulled from the water fully clothed and the autopsy confirmed that she had not been sexually assaulted.
There have been questions about how no one found Alma immediately since she was pretty close to the bank of the lake and there is a really simple explanation for this:
Bodies sink. Unless there is something to help keep you afloat, bodies will sink. But then as decomposition takes place, usually around the 48 to 72 hour window, the decomposition will produce enough gases within the chest cavity and abdomen of the body and this will allow them to float back to the surface. Alma was attacked on Sunday, the 28th and she was found on Tuesday the 30th, putting the timing right at the beginning of that 48 hour window.
Of course, this discovery caused panic because people feared that a predator was now lose in the park but this did provide some good results: multiple people came forward saying they saw something really weird while on the trail the day of October 28.
A truck.
It was small, 2 door gray truck.
With this information they now understand the reason for Alma’s injuries. She had clearly been struck by a vehicle - and they could tell that it was not an accident.
And I quickly want to circle back to the search dogs. We talked briefly about this in episode 9 where certain scents overwhelm a dog's sense of smell and it will basically just turn off for a period of time. One of those is diesel fumes, and I would be willing to bet that in certain concentrations, gasoline has a similar effect.
Since we now know she was hit by a truck, we can kind of explain why the dogs were unable to follow her scent.
Also being questioned was Alma’s husband, Conrad, who she had separated from just weeks prior. It makes sense for everyone to go there. Statistically speaking, you are most likely to be murdered by your significant other. In addition to this, if the relationship was ending because of her decision and not his, this might create some space for anger and resentment to build up and actions to be taken that otherwise wouldn’t be. He had been with Alma for 19 years. He would know her schedule and where she liked to run and when she ran and where she parked and what she drove.
But after questioning, he would never be publicly labeled as a suspect or even a person of interest.
Conclusion
Random attack from a person who was intending to commit this crime:
How many people carry a knife with them?
Random accident:
There are some who believe that this person who was driving the truck was either mentally unsound or potentially using drugs and or alcohol, and they were just driving along not even realizing that they were on a walking trail until they hit Alma.
At this point they realized they had made a huge mistake, cut Alma’s that to ensure she was dead and wouldn’t be able to turn them in and then dumped her in the lake.
Targeted attack: while i do agree that the attack does seem like it was passionate and intentional. Like running someone over in your car is something you think about and you have time to change your mind. Especially when you are driving on a walking and running trail.
She wasn’t there at her normal time. If this was an attack on Alma, she either communicated that she was going to be there at that time and this person knew when to look for her there. Or they had waited there for her to be there all day. Maybe not waited at the park but drove past repeatedly until they saw her car.
Husband attack: this seems unlikely as he has not been labeled a person on interest or a suspect in 19 years. It would also be relatively easy to verify if his vehicle matched the one seen in the park. There is possibility that Alma and Conrad would be facing a nasty divorce - no divorce is easy but once kids are involved it can get way worse. Especially if those kids are under 18.
But, he also had an alibi. He had been with his family the entire day.
With nothing to go on, the case went cold and has stayed that way.
The cook county sheriff’s stand by that someone knows something. There were people in the park, it was broad daylight and of course, it is clear that someone committed this violent attack on Alma. Someone, at least one person, out there knows what happened. To leave a family without answers is devastating and unfair not just to Alma, but all of Alma’s friends and family.
If you know something, or if you were in this area on October 28, 2007 and have any information that could help investigators get answers for Alma, the Cook County Sheriffs can be contacted at 708-865-4549.
Alma was a woman whose spirit radiated warmth and kindness. She was a dedicated mother, a loving sister, and a cherished friend. Her presence brought joy and unity to those around her, and her tragic and untimely death has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of her family and friends.
Alma's murder remains an unsolved mystery, a reminder of the fragility of life and the senselessness of violence. The police continue to work tirelessly on this case, but certain details must remain confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation. This secrecy is crucial in ensuring that justice can eventually be served, and that the perpetrator is brought to account.
The resolution of cold cases holds profound significance for several reasons. These unsolved crimes represent unresolved injustices, leaving victims' families in a state of perpetual grief and uncertainty. Solving cold cases provides a sense of closure and justice, acknowledging the pain and suffering endured by the victims and their loved ones.
Moreover, the successful resolution of these cases can have a broader societal impact. It reaffirms the principle that no crime should go unpunished, regardless of the passage of time, and underscores the commitment of law enforcement to uphold justice. The advancements in forensic science and investigative techniques mean that many cold cases, once thought unsolvable, now have the potential to be resolved.
Additionally, solving cold cases can prevent future crimes. Offenders who have remained at large may continue to pose a threat to society, and bringing them to justice can protect others from harm. The investigation and resolution of cold cases also serve as a deterrent to potential criminals, reinforcing the message that justice is relentless and inevitable.
Ultimately, the pursuit of justice in cold cases honors the memory of the victims, supports the healing process for their families, and strengthens the moral fabric of society. It is a testament to our collective resolve to seek truth and justice, no matter how long it takes.
Thank you for listening, until next time, bye.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cold-case-file-suburban-mom-murdered-while-jogging/
https://cookcountysheriffil.gov/case/alma-mendez/
https://www.truecasefiles.com/2023/11/the-murder-of-alma-mendez.html?m=1
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/10/31/womans-throat-was-slashed-authorities-say/
Cold and missing podcast
