Eulalia Mylia Chavez

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

St Clair County Sheriffs Department (IL)

Offense Location:

Lebanon, Illinois

Summary:

On September 6, 1986, the nude body of Eulalia Chavez of Palo Alto, California, was found in a cornfield off a dirt road near Oak Grove School Road in Lebanon, Illinois. She had been strangled and sexually mutilated.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Chavez ran away from her home in Palo Alto, California on several occasions. Her adoptive mother last saw her in 1975 or 1976, although she received numerous phone calls over the years from individuals claiming to have seen her daughter in different states. On September 6, 1986, a farmer discovered Chavez's body in a cornfield just outside the village of Somerfield, Illinois. Chavez was naked and had been strangled with an item of clothing belonging to her. Her killer had cut her pelvic area and attempted to remove her reproductive organs. There was also a lack of defensive wounds on Chavez's body. It was determined that Chavez had died some point the day prior and her body had been placed at the site. Authorities observed that her killer left behind small, western-style boot prints. A police officer also recalled finding scattered clothes and personal items, including a set of silverware and a salt and pepper shaker.

Additional Details:

Similarities have been cited between the cases of Chavez and 30-year-old hitchhiker Wyndi Michel. However, it is unknown if their homicides are connected. A farmer discovered Michel's naked body in a bean field in Troy, Illinois, on July 20, 1990. The site was approximately 10 miles from where Chavez's body was discovered. Michel died from multiple stab wounds to her neck and torso and was likely sexually assaulted. Upon further examination, her fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries were also absent. It is believed that her killer may have removed her reproductive organs. There was no evidence of defensive wounds on Michel's body.

Case Last Updated:

Dec 30, 2025