Nationwide — The family of Kierra Coles, an African American postal worker from Chicago, Illinois, is still seeking answers six years after she went missing. Coles was three months pregnant when she disappeared in 2018, and she would now be 33 years old.
According to Fox 32 Chicago, Coles was last seen on October 2, 2018, in the Chatham neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. That morning, surveillance footage showed her in her postal uniform, despite calling in sick to work.
Later that night, cameras captured her leaving home with a person of interest. Together, they stopped at an ATM where Coles made two withdrawals.
The following morning, the same individual was seen returning to Coles’ home in a vehicle. Investigators say he entered the building, left with unidentified items, and drove away in his personal car, which had been parked nearby overnight. Coles herself was never seen again.
Chicago police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service have investigated the case for years, but no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made. Authorities have also not confirmed a motive.
Her mother, Karen Phillips, has shared memories of her daughter, describing her as someone who loved makeup, dancing, photography, and her job at the Postal Service. Coles had been excited to become a mother. “As the years go on, it gets harder and harder,” Phillips said.
Coles was 26 when she vanished, and her due date passed six months later with no developments. Advocates from the National Association of Letter Carriers have also expressed concern over unusual details, including the sick call placed while Coles appeared in uniform on camera.
As the family remembers her on her birthday, they are once again calling for information. They plan to hold a press conference to renew awareness of the case. A $68,000 reward is still available for tips that lead to an arrest and conviction.