Sharon Marie Hurley: 1981, East St. Louis, Illinois

   


  Sharon Marie Hurley was born in Boston, Suffolk County,Massachusetts on March 21st,1956.

  I wasn’t able to find out much about her family or her childhood. I couldn’t find anything about her birth in any newspapers. I didn’t find any yearbook photos. I don’t know if the last name of Hurley is her maiden name or a married name. 


  Sharon Hurley was living on the 4100 block of Russell Boulevard in 1981. Today it’s a very nice looking street of brick buildings built around 1900-1930. Some might be older. Many look like apartment buildings. 




  Sharon had moved to St. Louis sometime in the late 70’s. Her neighbors said they did not know her very well. She had only lived on Russell for a couple of years. It is not too far from the downtown St. Louis area with the Arch and the baseball park.  St. Louis is the home of the Cardinals. It is a busy town these days with a bustling economy but in 1981; every state was still coming out of the economic slump of the 1970's.


  On February 25th, Sharon was found under the Poplar Street bridge in East St. Louis by railroad workers. It was reported that she was thrown from the bridge on February 24th, 1981. She was not thrown into the Mississippi River but onto the shore. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. There was evidence of torture as well. Sharon had burn marks on her face and her hair was singed. 


  A few minutes after Sharon’s body was found someone called police to report seeing someone who was driving a light blue car stop and throw a body off the Poplar Street bridge. Blood was found on the eastbound railing there near the Cahokia exit. 


  25 year old Sharon was identified by a female friend who heard a description of the body that was found under the Poplar Street bridge on a t.v. news broadcast. Sharon’s friend called the number from the report and investigators took her to East St. Louis, Illinois to identify the body. 


  Sharon’s friend said that Sharon had a child. (It seems like her child was maybe not living with her in St. Louis at the time of the murder. I am not sure. The 1981 newspaper articles don’t mention that.) She also mentioned that Sharon was unemployed at the time of her murder. I have since learned that Sharon had a six month old daughter when she passed. Her family has spoken out in several articles in the past few years hoping for answers.






  In 1981, there was little that investigators could do. But, did they collect and save evidence? Can that evidence be used to identify a suspect? 


  Sharon Marie Hurley was buried back in her home state of Massachusetts.  She rests at Forest Dale Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts. It is a beautifully landscaped cemetery with mature trees, ponds and those picturesque low stone walls that you see often in New England. 


  Rest in Peace, Sharon. 


  Is Sharon Hurley’s murder related to another very similar murder just a few years later? 


  On the 5th of October, 1984, 19 year old Michele Frank was working at Jack in the Box in St. Louis. She was murdered in a very similar way and left near a bridge in the East St. Louis area. 


   I know that there was the tip about the blue car but I really think that they should look at Jerry Leon Johns for these two murders.  He was a serial killer/trucker and details of these two murders match some of his other known killings. Tina Marie McKenney Farmer is one victim. He lived in Flat Rock, Michigan. He was caught in March 1985 after a victim in Knoxville, TN. Survived. I have written about him and made YouTube videos. I believe he has many more victims out there in the Midwest and the South. 



     If you have a tip please call the Illinois State Police at (217) 785-0653  or email ISP.CRIMETIPS@Illinois.gov



Shareable YouTube video:https://youtu.be/oeTyiqI7-r4?si=kY7nNsPtBSyzAtxp








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