Disappearance of Amelia Zelko (US)
Amelia 'Molly' Zelko, a 47-year-old newspaper editor and co-owner known for her anti-corruption and anti-gambling stance, disappeared from Joliet, Illinois, on September 25, 1957. Her car was found with her shoes nearby, and neighbors reported hearing screams. Despite investigations and later witness accounts, her case remains unsolved, and she was declared legally dead in 1964.
Timeline
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Track this story2025
1 update
2025
1 updateThe Joliet Area Historical Museum submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI, seeking unredacted files related to Molly Zelko's 1957 disappearance. This marks a new procedural effort to uncover information about the cold case.
via patch.com
2024
1 update
2024
1 updateConstruction crews began excavating Stryker Avenue in June 2024 to install new technology, reigniting speculation that Molly Zelko's remains might be discovered there.
via patch.com
2022
2 updates
2022
2 updatesFormer reporter Lonny Cain presented new information suggesting Molly Zelko's body might be buried under Stryker Avenue in Joliet, based on details from three now-deceased witnesses who reportedly saw a body being buried.
via shawlocal.com
On the 65th anniversary of Molly Zelko's disappearance, the Joliet Area Historical Museum hosted an event where journalist Lonny Cain presented new evidence supporting a theory about her case.
via patch.com
2021
3 updates
2021
3 updatesA witness reportedly claimed in 1978 to have seen four men burying a woman's body near Amelia Zelko's home on the day she disappeared.
via reddit.com
The Joliet Area Historical Museum hosted a virtual roundtable discussing Zelko's unsolved disappearance, building on information from their podcast "The Spectator: Who Killed Molly Zelko?".
via charleyproject.org·websleuths.com·doenetwork.org·reddit.com·youtube.com
The Joliet Area Historical Museum and Joliet Public Library released 'The Spectator: Who Killed Molly Zelko?', a podcast series investigating her disappearance.
via reddit.com·charleyproject.org·doenetwork.org·youtube.com·illinoispress.org
2019
1 update
2019
1 updateRobert F. Kennedy participated in searches for Amelia Zelko. Police initially believed she was kidnapped, but no ransom note was ever received.
1957
2 updates
1957
2 updatesZelko's managing editor called the police when she did not show up for work. Her car was found parked outside her residence with the keys under the front seat, and one of her shoes was on the trunk while the other was on the ground. She had previously told friends that she would take off her shoes if she were ever in trouble to make it easier to run.
via reddit.com·charleyproject.org·doenetwork.org·youtube.com·illinoispress.org
Amelia 'Molly' Zelko, a 47-year-old newspaper editor and co-owner of the Joliet Spectator, left her office around 11:30 p.m. after working late. Her home was a three-minute walk away. Neighbors reported hearing screams and a car speeding away between midnight and 12:15 a.m.
via reddit.com·charleyproject.org·doenetwork.org·youtube.com·illinoispress.org
Story began · 69 years, 5 mo ago