JoAnn Bartholomew was 47 when she went missing after attending a church service on October 21, 1987, in Akron, Ohio. Her vehicle was found abandoned the next day, October 22, at the Chapel Hill Mall. After an extensive search her body was located on October 24 in a wooded area near 1990 Buchholzer Boulevard, not far from where the car had been left. She had been stabbed multiple times and her death was classified as a homicide.

The Akron Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continue to list the case among cold cases and seek public tips. Few details about suspects or motives are provided in the file, and the circumstances remain unresolved. If anyone knew JoAnn, saw her around October 21–24, 1987, or has information about her vehicle at Chapel Hill Mall, please contact investigators with what they know.