Martha Lynn McIllwaine was a 29-year-old mother of three who loved hosting family cookouts in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her daughter Latorya remembers Martha as someone who brought people together and playfully embarrassed her children by making them perform the latest dances. Martha was reported missing sometime between April 1 and April 6, 1999.

On April 17, children fishing in a pond at the end of Oakwood Drive found a body floating in the water. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police identified the remains as Martha McIllwaine and her death was ruled a homicide; one report described her as having been brutally murdered. Investigators examined Martha’s killing alongside a series of murders of Black women of similar ages across Charlotte in late 1998 and early 1999, but police never established a definitive link and no arrests were announced.

Martha’s family remains devastated and seeking answers. Latorya, who was 12 when her mother was killed, has led memorial efforts including a balloon release at the pond and started a petition to rename part of Oakwood Drive to Martha Place so her mother won’t be forgotten. If anyone has information about what happened to Martha, please come forward.