Sherry Gordon and Theresa Hall:1984, Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois is a small town about an hour south of Chicago. Small towns are places where, usually, everybody knows everybody. People trust their neighbors. Children can play outside unattended safely. And most of the time, nothing bad happens.
Three little girls in Decatur, Illinois also went out that night. Sherry Gordon (12), and two sisters, Theresa Hall (9) and Patricia Hall (7) were cousins. They knew their way around the neighborhood and there were lots of children out running around. No one was worried. Why should they be? Decatur was a safe little town.
In 1984, the Sex Offender Registry was not yet established. It was impossible to know which of your neighbors could be a potential danger to your children.
The girls went out earlier in the evening but stopped by their own home for a little while. Then they decided to head back out. After that; they never came home. Their parents, the police and neighbors searched through the night. But there was no sign of the girls.
On All Saints Day, November 1st, there was still no clue as to what had happened. On November 2nd, 1984, All Souls Day, the girls were found in an empty apartment building by construction workers. Sherry Gordon and Theresa Hall had been sexually assaulted and murdered. Seven year old Patricia Hall was found hiding in a closet. She was cold and traumatized but she was miraculously alive.
Their family, friends and teachers in Decatur were devastated. Patricia’s family was by her side in the hospital even as they went through the painful process of planning funerals.
Sherry Gordon had been 12. She loved Spencer school and was a hard working student. She had recently transferred to Benjamin Franklin Elementary School.
Theresa Hall also loved her class and was a dedicated student. She had recently transferred from Washington School to Benjamin Franklin as well.
Investigators worked on the murder case but no suspects stood out. Evidence was collected and preserved. Over the years, the case simply went cold.
In 2009, DNA testing of the girl’s clothing made it possible to identify a suspect. Melvin Johnson had been 25 in 1984. He had already had a long criminal history by then, including sexual offenses against children.
A prayer vigil was held in Decatur in 2009 when the announcement was made. The community grieved all over again for the loss of these two girls and the trauma that Patricia had gone through. The little town of Decatur lost so much at Halloween in 1984. That small town sense of security and trust in your neighbors had been erased that night. Two little girls with so much promise were taken. Another little girl was terribly traumatized. The ripple effects of trauma for this community were devastating.
Who was Melvin Johnson?
In 1978 Melvin Johnson had warrants issued by Decatur police for deviant sexual assault, attempted deviant sexual assault and taking liberties with a 10 year old male child.
He was on the run from those warrants when he was pulled over by police in Carbondale, Illinois. He fled on foot from police and hid for a day in the coal bin of a local family’s basement. The homeowner discovered him and called the police.
Melvin Johnson was arrested, tried and convicted in 1978. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison for his crimes. But he was back out in 1984 and back in Decatur. Were police there not aware of his past? It’s a small town. It seems like somebody had to be able to remember only 6 years back. Did police even know that he was back in town?
Police might not have thought of him because his prior crimes were committed against a young male victim.
(In cases I have studied about pedophiles; they don’t always prefer one sex over another.)
Melvin Johnson had a male romantic partner in the 1980’s in Decatur. John L. Woods was murdered in 1988. It is believed that Melvin Johnson was his killer.
In 2009, when Melvin Johnson was identified as the killer, he was already dead. He died of stomach cancer in a Texas prison in 2003. (He was in prison for charges unrelated to crimes against children.)
Melvin Johnson is considered a suspect in other murders in Illinois and possibly Indiana.
Sherry Gordon and Theresa Lee Hall were both buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois. It seems fitting that these two cousins, who were such close friends, are together.
Sherry and Theresa had so much promise. They should have had long lives rich with all the experiences that make life meaningful. They should still be here.
Rest in peace Sherry and Theresa
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