Episode Summary
When 18-year-old Jade Winston is found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in her Carrier Mills, Illinois, apartment in August 2007, the entire community is stunned, and investigators are split on whether she was murdered or if she took her own life. As rumors fly, a Coroner’s Jury rules Jade’s death a homicide. But 16 years later, the case is on the shelf, and her family is still desperate to know what happened…and praying that someone will give it the attention it deserves.
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Episode Info
Saline County Sheriff’s Office: (618) 252-8661
Please join us in writing a letter to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office urging them to intervene and investigate Jade’s case. Below the Episode Info you will find a prompt you can use and the address to send the letter to. You can also contact the office using this form.
Jade Winston.
Photo Source: Courtesy; Enhanced by audiochuck staff
Jade Winston.
Photo Source: Carrier Mills High School Yearbook; Audiochuck staff
Jade Winston.
Photo Source: Courtesy
Siblings Jerome Mitchell and Jade Winston.
Photo Source: Courtesy
Family photo, including Jade (top right) and Jerome (bottom left).
Photo Source: Courtesy; Enhanced by audiochuck staff
Jade at prom with a friend.
Photo Source: Courtesy; Enhanced by audiochuck staff
A crime scene diagram drawn by Illinois State Police.
Photo Source: Police records
The front of the duplex where Jade, Jana and Jory lived. Their apartment is to the right.
Photo Source: Police evidence photos
Jade's front door.
Photo Source: Police evidence photos
Jade’s apartment from the side, showing both doors.
Photo Source: Police evidence photos
Police checking the bullet’s trajectory.
Photo Source: Police evidence photos
The duplex in June of 2023, as shown from the side.
Photo Source: audiochuck staff
A diagram of Jerome’s crash site drawn by Illinois State Police.
Photo Source: Police records
Jerome’s car after the crash.
Photo Source: Courtesy
Jade's grave.
Photo Source: audiochuck staff
Jade and Jerome are buried next to each other.
Photo Source: audiochuck staff
Saline County Deputy Chief Major Todd Fort.
A “relationship tree” detailing the web of Jade’s familial and personal relationships.
Created by audiochuck staff
A drawing of Jade and Jerome.
Photo Source: Courtesy
Letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul
(WHERE TO SEND)
Office of the Illinois Attorney General
Constituent Services
100 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Please also CC Saline County State’s Attorney, Molly Wilson: [email protected].
Dear Attorney General Raoul,
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen and a listener of Crime Junkie, a true crime podcast that recently investigated the death of Jade Winston in Carrier Mills, IL.
Jade was an 18-year-old high school senior who died of a gunshot wound to the head while in her apartment on August 17th, 2007. A Saline County Coroner’s Jury ruled Jade’s death a homicide in January 2008. However, leadership at the Saline County Sheriff’s Office have publicly shared their “personal opinions” that Jade died by suicide. While they maintain that the case is open, it’s not active.
I am deeply troubled by the lack of progress. Mixed messaging, where an agency’s public statements are not consistent with the official designation of a case, can erode public trust. This can lead to skepticism about the agency’s competence or motives. Public statements can also inadvertently influence potential witnesses. If the public believes the investigating agency has already reached a conclusion, even informally, individuals might be less likely to come forward with information, thinking it might not be considered relevant. Meanwhile, Jade’s family and the community are left in a state of uncertainty, and their faith in the justice system has been profoundly shaken.
The Attorney General’s Office can intervene in cases where there are conflicts of interest or when the complexity of the case demands a comprehensive approach. Given the nature of this case, I am respectfully urging you to have your office conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. By taking over this investigation, your office could bring fresh perspectives, resources, and a renewed commitment to finding the truth. Furthermore, your intervention would instill public confidence in the justice system.
I am hopeful that with your help, we can bring closure to Jade’s family, provide answers to a concerned community, and ensure that justice prevails.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Signature (if sending a printed letter)]
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Nina Schutzman
- Saline County Sheriff’s Office records
- Saline County Coroner’s Office records
- Saline County Court records
- Illinois State Police records
- The Southern Illinoisan: Winston death ruled a homicide by John D. Homan.
- The Southern Illinoisan: Ex-deputy pleads guilty to sex charge by Scott Fitzgerald.