Vanessa Thomas, a 31-year-old African American woman, was found dead on April 5, 2020, in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. She was discovered lying face down and unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds in the 1500 block of South Komensky Avenue around 6 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy confirmed death from multiple gunshot wounds and the Cook County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Witnesses reported Vanessa had been involved in a dispute with a 34-year-old man shortly before the shooting; that man fled the area before police arrived and no arrests were made immediately after the incident. Area Central detectives opened a homicide investigation and continued seeking information and witnesses.

Vanessa’s estate later pursued a wrongful death and survival action alleging the Chicago Police Department failed to respond adequately to a prior domestic violence incident involving Vanessa and her boyfriend, James E. Thomas. A jury awarded $3 million in damages to the estate.

Did anyone in the community know Vanessa, the people she was with that morning, or have information about the dispute on South Komensky Avenue?