Relatives of Theresa Bunn said that the 21-year-old expectant mother was excited about giving birth. At eight months pregnant, Theresa had already named her bundle of joy, a son, Michael Pierre Terry Bunn, a name given in homage to her 14-year-old brother. This was Theresa’s first child, and while nervous about what was to come, she looked forward to her new future with gleeful anticipation.
Then, on November 12, 2007, Theresa’s body was found in a dumpster near Washington Park in Chicago. She was nude, her body was badly burned, and she had been strangled. Theresa could only be identified through dental records, and because of the condition of her remains, her family decided to hold a vigil in her honor in lieu of a funeral. Family, friends, and mourners gathered together at the place where Theresa’s body was found.
“To me, this is her last place,” said Anthony McCray, Theresa’s father. “It shouldn’t be here. They took our baby and burned her like she was garbage.”