Chicago police have released a video showing the last time Kierra Coles, a missing pregnant postal worker, was seen, according to ABC 7 Chicago. Coles is one of over 3,000 Black women reported missing in Chicago. Advocates say Black women are reported missing in the city at a higher rate than any other group.
Chicago Police Department Homicide Lt. William Svilar said the newly released surveillance video showed the last moments before Coles’ disappearance. Police say they were able to put together a proper timeline of Coles’ whereabouts from the footage, per ABC 7 Chicago. Svilar said Coles was seen at an ATM at 10:43 p.m. and also driving off with a man who is now a person of interest.
More on the timeline of Coles’ disappearance from ABC 7:
“During the course of that night, Kierra entered her residence in the 8100-block of South Vernon,” Lieutenant Svilar said. “A man who police identified as a person of interest also arrived and entered the residence. Kierra and the man later got into her car and drove off with Kierra in the driver’s seat.”
Minutes later, Kierra was seen on the surveillance video using the ATM.
Police said less than an hour later, that same vehicle was seen parking in another area of the city. The person of interest gets out of the passenger side of the car, but no one exited the driver’s side.
“The next day, the person of interest is seen parking Kierra’s vehicle near her residence before entering the building and exiting with unknown items,” Svilar said.
The man was then seen driving off in his vehicle parked on the street overnight.
According to NBC News, Coles called out sick from work the day she disappeared and police suspect foul play in her disappearance. When police questioned the man she was last seen with, he gave varying accounts of the last time he’d seen Coles but was never arrested. She was reported missing Oct. 4, 2018 and for the past four years, her family has been seeking answers.
They attended the fifth annual We Walk for Her march, along with other families of missing Black women, to continue bringing attention to Coles’ case. Kierra’s mother, Karen Phillips, said she just wants to see her daughter and grandchild come home safe.
“If you know something say something this has been going on too long I just hope that anybody out there who knows something have a heart and finally call In,” Phillips said via ABC 7.
Anyone with information regarding Kierra’s disappearance is encouraged to contact Chicago police at cpdtip.com.