Executive Summary
- Crime Stoppers and police are canvassing Chicago’s South Side for leads in two homicide cases.
- The investigations concern the shooting deaths of Phillip Meadors and Kiara Jenkins.
- A cash reward of up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to an arrest.
- Jenkins was a mother of five who was shot while leaving her home on South Drexel Avenue.
Cook County Crime Stoppers launched a canvassing operation on Chicago’s South Side to solicit information regarding two separate homicide investigations involving the shooting deaths of Phillip Meadors and Kiara Jenkins. According to the organization, volunteers and police officers began distributing flyers in the affected neighborhoods at 10 a.m. in an effort to generate new leads.
Phillip Meadors was fatally shot on April 13, 2023, in the 6600 block of South Hartwell Avenue. Details surrounding the specific circumstances of the shooting remain part of the active inquiry.
Kiara Jenkins, 36, was fatally shot on January 18 in the 6400 block of South Drexel Avenue. Police discovered Jenkins unresponsive at the scene around 4:30 a.m. According to statements provided by her family to CBS News Chicago, Jenkins, a mother of five children, was leaving her home at the time she was attacked.
Both cases remain under active investigation by the Chicago Police Department. Cook County Crime Stoppers has announced a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in these cases.
Investigative Outlook
The mobilization of Crime Stoppers in these specific neighborhoods signals a strategic push by law enforcement to leverage community intelligence in solving cold or stalling cases. High-profile canvassing combined with financial rewards is a standard investigative tool designed to overcome witness reluctance and the fear of retaliation. The focus on the immediate vicinity of the shootings suggests investigators believe that individuals possessing critical information reside within the local community.
