DOWNERS GROVE, IL — On Oct. 3, 1976, the body of Downers Grove teen Jennifer "Jenny" Lynn Springman was found near Hickory Creek in New Lenox. Amid the 50-year anniversary of Springman's murder, the Will County Sheriff's Office is appealing to members of the public to come forward with any information they might have.
According to an autopsy, Springman's cause of death was identified as manual strangulation. She was also found to have lacerations caused by blunt force trauma to her head.
Springman, who was born Oct. 15, 1958, in Nebraska, was last seen around 12:30 a.m. Oct. 3, 1976, when she attended a gathering near the campus of George Williams College in Downers Grove.
Police say in 1977 they received a tip from a woman who said she had seen "a violent encounter" between a man and a woman by a car as she drove under the I-80 overpass, per the Will County Sheriff's Office. The woman was able to provide officers with a description of the man and the car she saw.
The description shared by this woman matched up with information police had previously gotten during their investigation and later aligned with a subsequent witness's description.
In a statement shared Friday, the Will County Sheriff's Office said,
"Will County investigators recognize that memories from 50 years ago may be incomplete or have faded over time. Information that may have seemed insignificant at the time, however, could have renewed relevance today. Anyone with information that may assist in the investigation is urged to come forward, regardless of how long ago the information was learned or whether it has previously been shared with law enforcement."
Anyone with information that may be linked to Jenny Lynn Springman's death can reach out to Detective Mike Earnest by phone at 815-727-8574, ext. 4943, or via email at mearnest@willcosheriff.org.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Downers Grove Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.