Cold case: 5 years after pregnant Chicago woman vanished, her family is still searching

A 26-year-old pregnant woman went missing in Chicago five years ago. Now as the anniversary of her disappearance approaches, her family is still looking for answers.

Kierra Coles was three months pregnant when she disappeared on Oct. 2, 2018. As of Tuesday morning, there were no updates on the case and it's considered cold, Chicago police told USA TODAY.

Karen Phillips, Kierra Coles' mother, told reporters over the weekend that she has been disappointed in police efforts to find her daughter.

"They always say they haven't forgotten about it, they're still working on her case," she said. "But to me, I don't think so."

The feeling that the police have fallen short "makes it even harder," she said.

In response to Phillips' sentiments, Chicago police said "this is still an open investigation."

"We are seeking any and all information in an attempt to locate her and we won't stop until we do," they said.

Gwen Brunelle:Search for Idaho woman missing since June resumes after shirt found mile from abandoned car

'Nowhere to be found'

Coles’ mother said she last spoke to her daughter on Oct. 2, 2018. She said Coles was shopping for her baby and was so excited to become a mother, Phillips said in a video released by the Chicago Police Department.

“Two days later, on October 4, the Coles family filed a missing person’s report for Kierra,” Homicide Detective Lt. Will Svilar said in the video. “While attempting to locate her, officers forced entry into Kierra’s apartment but she was nowhere to be found.”

Police used security footage to map out the hours leading up to her disappearance. In one video, Coles is seen carrying groceries into her apartment building.

A man later arrived and the pair left together in a car, with Coles driving. Minutes later, the pair went to Walgreens, where security footage shows Coles withdrawing hundreds of dollars from an ATM. Her mother said it was odd, especially since it was around 11 p.m.

“Less than an hour later, the vehicle is seen arriving and parking in another area of the city,” Svilar said in the video. “The person of interest exits the passenger side of the vehicle but nobody exits the driver’s side.”

The next day, the man was seen parking Coles’ car near her apartment complex, going into the building alone and leaving with some items, police say. He left the area in his own car.

Though police consider him a person of interest they have not released his name. Police spokesperson Kellie Bartoli said it's department policy not to release the names of any persons of interest until they're charged.

Svilar told the outlet in July 2022 that Coles could still be alive. 

“There’s always a chance that she did go somewhere else,” he said.

Community supports family in droves

Family members of Coles, a postal worker, have passed out posters in search of the missing woman. 

They marked what would be her 31st birthday on Sunday and said they wouldn’t give up on searching for her.

"Every year I hope I don't have to come stand up here and announce that my child is still not home yet," Phillips told reporters.

A look at her mother’s Facebook page shows a woman who refuses to give up on finding her daughter and includes multiple missing person posters with photos of Coles. 

Coles loved dancing, taking photos and getting dolled up, her mother said in a video released by Chicago police.

She was determined to get a job with the U.S. Postal Service. She took on seasonal jobs and kept trying until she was hired permanently after about three years. She loved her job, her mother said.

Kassandra Lizzete Gonzalez:San Antonio Police need help finding woman missing since Aug. 11. Here's what to know.

Other efforts

Efforts to help find the missing woman over the years have included multiple cash rewards. About seven months after she disappeared, the reward for information had climbed to more than $46,000, WLS-TV in Chicago reported. 

"I just don't want my sister gone forever," Kierra’s sister, Kianna Coles, told the outlet at the time. 

"And I hope that somebody out there, somebody that (does) know what's going on can help us give her a safe return — her and my niece or nephew," she said.

Phillips said on Sunday: “I just thank everybody that continues to pray with the family and support the family and have faith that Kierra will return home.”

Police have asked that anyone with information about the disappearance of Coles call Chicago police at 833-408-0069 or 312-746-7330.