Crime Junkie: MISSING — The Thompson Family

Host: Ashley Flowers (with Britt Prawat)
Date: October 30, 2025
Episode Theme:
A multi-generational Black family vanishes in Chicago, 1996. The episode investigates the systemic failures, missed opportunities, and the chilling evidence all pointing to one main suspect: Lydia Thompson’s brother, Kenneth, recently released from prison. Through interviews and court records, Ashley and Britt piece together how neglect and bias allowed a probable family annihilation to go unresolved, with the case closing only after the key suspect’s suicide.

1. Overview

The episode unpacks the 1996 disappearance of Everett and Lydia Thompson and their two sons, Everett Jr. (11) and Andrew (8). It highlights the obstacles their family faced—skepticism, delayed police action, and institutional indifference—especially as a family of color. Ashley and Britt reconstruct the timeline, zeroing in on Lydia’s brother, Kenneth, as details and damning evidence emerge.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Timeline of Disappearance & Police Response

• July 5, 1996:
  • Everett Thompson calls his father, interrupted by Lydia who locks herself and the kids in a closet, fearing Kenneth, her brother, who’s threatening them with an axe. Everett hangs up to rush home. [03:46]
  • “...Lydia has locked herself and their two boys in the closet because her brother is there at their house, threatening them with an axe..." — Ashley [03:37]
• Next Day:
  • No contact from the family; Everett’s father, Herman, tries to report them missing, but the Chicago PD won’t take an out-of-state report. [05:14]
  • Instead, a welfare check is done, but police only speak to Kenneth, who claims the family left for Philadelphia. [05:55]
• Over a week later:
  • With no word, the family drives from Philly to Chicago, confirms with Everett’s manager he hasn’t been seen since July 5, finds the Thompson home eerily empty. [07:54]
  • The house is void of all furniture, only leaving garbage bags with clothes. Kenneth is also gone. [08:22]
• Delayed Investigation:
  • It takes weeks before the missing persons report is accepted; significant police follow-up is absent, reflecting a pattern of neglect in missing Black families. [10:29]
  • Chicago's Black community is overrepresented in missing persons statistics but routinely underserved by authorities. [11:00]

Suspicions around Kenneth

• Inconsistent Stories:
  • Kenneth first tells police the family drove to Philadelphia; later, he claims to have dropped Everett at a bus station. [09:49]
• Neighbors’ Observations:
  • Witness sees someone not recognizable as Thompson family removing a rolled-up carpet to the van, prompting suspicion. [09:09]
• Van and Home Sale Moves:
  • Kenneth is seen with Everett’s van hours after the last sighting of Everett, despite Everett telling his manager:
    • “If you ever see Kenny driving my car, you’ll know that I’m dead.” — Recalls Everett’s warning [14:13]
  • Kenneth obtains dubious power of attorney and proceeds to sell the Thompson house and van, depositing Lydia’s share himself with a forged signature. [21:11]
• Home’s Forensic Compromise:
  • When police finally search the house, extensive renovations have occurred — floors are ripped out, a bathroom is painted red, erasing potential evidence. [23:18]

Missed Red Flags & Systemic Issues

• Prior Violence:
  • Just two days prior, Lydia had called police reporting Kenneth threatened her with an axe; the police response was cursory and insufficient. [13:33]
• Family Animosity and Motive:
  • Kenneth felt cheated out of inheritance by Lydia, threatened to kill her in letters per the family, expressing long-standing rage. [18:47]
• Obstruction & Evasion:
  • Kenneth leaves town, sells the family’s assets, and starts a pattern of wild, conflicting stories about their disappearance:
    • “He told a random cashier… his sister and her family moved to Hawaii… Everett took Lydia and the children to escape the IRS or drug debts…” [25:20]

The Breakthrough (Too Late)

• Physical Evidence:
  • In Kenneth’s trailer, police eventually recover blood-stained sneakers and a child’s blood-soaked sock, later confirmed as human blood—potentially one of the boys’. [26:46-27:19]
• Legal Action:
  • With no bodies or forensic evidence from the original scene, murder charges aren’t possible. Kenneth is prosecuted for bank fraud (forging Lydia’s signature on house sale documents) and is confronted with the suspicion of murder as the motive for fraud in an unprecedented affidavit. [27:50-28:15]
• Kenneth’s Death:
  • Shocked at the public allegation, Kenneth takes his own life in jail the next day. He leaves a message for his sister:
    • “I did a really bad thing. You may not be hearing from me again.” [29:21]

Aftermath & Remaining Mysteries

• Unanswered Questions:
  • Even with subsequent searches of Kenneth’s trailer and possible bone fragments uncovered, lack of accessible records leaves the family’s final whereabouts a mystery. [29:57]
• Impact:
  • The episode emphasizes the compounded trauma—from Kenneth’s actions, police inaction, and the enduring pain for surviving relatives. The case is functionally closed due to the suspect’s death and evidence now lost to time.

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you ever see Kenny driving my car, you’ll know that I’m dead.” — Recalls Everett to his manager (Ashley, 14:13)
• “Did anyone check the bus depot? I bet the family bought no tickets.” — Ashley [10:33]
• “One of the bathrooms in the house had the toilet and the tub painted red.” — Ashley [23:18]
• “He told a random cashier as he was cashing checks that his sister and her family moved to Hawaii…” — Ashley [25:20]
• “They have diddly squat when it comes to forensic evidence.” — Ashley [23:46]
• “I did a really bad thing. You may not be hearing from me again.” — Kenneth’s final message (Ashley, 29:21)

4. Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:46] — The family’s last documented phone call, Lydia’s panic, and Kenneth’s threats.
• [05:14] — Herman’s attempts to get police help; the initial brush-off by Chicago PD.
• [07:54] — Family arrives in Chicago, finds house emptied.
• [09:09] — Neighbor’s sighting of suspicious carpet removal.
• [13:33] — Everett’s manager recounts last events; Kenneth seen with Everett’s van.
• [14:13] — “If you ever see Kenny driving my car, you’ll know that I’m dead.”
• [18:47] — History of animosity, inheritance, and threats from Kenneth.
• [21:11] — Kenneth forges documents to sell the house and van.
• [23:18] — Discovery of the home’s altered state; possible cover-up.
• [26:46-27:19] — Physical evidence found in Kenneth’s trailer: bloody shoes, child’s sock.
• [27:50-28:15] — Bank fraud charge links directly to murder motive.
• [29:21] — Kenneth’s suicide and final correspondence.
• [29:57] — Ongoing pleas for information; lingering questions for the family.

5. Final Notes

The episode delivers a powerful indictment of systemic neglect and the unique vulnerabilities faced by missing persons in marginalized communities. Through chilling interviews, abandoned leads, and failed institutions, listeners are left with a haunting portrait of four lives erased and the tragic, unfinished search for justice.

If you have information about the Thompson case, contact Chicago PD Missing Persons at 312-745-5020.

Source: crimejunkie.com
Instagram: @crimejunkiepodcast