Charisma Ehresman
Body of missing Forest View woman found
By Carol McGowan
The search for 20-year-old Charisma Ehresman of Forest View is over.
The body of the young woman was found Friday evening in her vehicle in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood, on the city’s west side, which borders Oak Park. The car had apparently been there for several days.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Sunday that Ehresman died of strangulation and smothering. Her death was ruled a homicide.
A Chicago police spokesman said Area 4 detectives are investigating her death.
She was last seen by her family on Sunday, January 23, when she left her home in the 4600 block of Wisconsin in Forest View.
Video from a nearby business picked up footage of her vehicle, a 2014 red Ford Fiesta, turning north on Harlem Avenue from westbound 47th Street at 10:17 p.m.
Her family said it was unusual for her to not come home, or go to work or school, so family members had started posting the information of her disappearance on social media and reported her missing the following day.
The social media posts were shared multiple times and a missing persons alert was triggered throughout Illinois with her description along with her vehicle’s description.
Numerous local and state agencies, along with missing persons networks put the word out to look for her and/or her vehicle.
On Saturday afternoon, January 29, word started to go out through her father’s Facebook page that the girl’s body had been found.
“It is with great sadness, we announce the loss of our beautiful ANGEL Charisma Ehresman,” posted Jeffery Ehresman. “A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered! We ask that in this time of despair, that you respect our family’s wishes of privacy. We cannot release any further details at this time, please respect that. She was the sunshine in everyone who knew her lives.”
According to published reports, she was working two jobs and hoped to one day become a nurse and had recently enrolled at Triton College in River Grove. She didn’t tell anyone she was returning to school after taking a year off because of the pandemic until the first day of classes.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with funeral expenses. The family appreciates all of the help they have received.
The family warned that a false GoFundMe page was set up by a scammer. The link to their official and legitimate fundraising page is https://gofund.me/2ae5bb69.
As of Monday, the family had raised more than $16,000 toward a goal of $18,000.
Donations can also be made out to Kathy Ehresman, Charisma’s grandmother, and dropped off or mailed to Village of Forest View, 7000 W. 46th St., Forest View IL 60402.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Local News
Stagg High Welcomes 3,500 for Marching Band Competition
Spread the loveMarching bands came together last weekend to share their love of music. Stagg High School, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills, welcomed more than 20 marching bands from around the area at its annual March Band Jamboree on September 7. The Jamboree began with the national anthem performed by area middle schoolers from…
McCook Fire Hydrants Get Date With Sandblaster, New Paint Job
Spread the loveMcCook residents will soon see crews sandblasting and repainting fire hydrants around the village Mayor Terrance Carr, after the village board meeting on Tuesday night Sept. 3, confirmed that testing has been completed on the fire hydrants village-wide. “We’re in the final steps. The flow testing was done. Everything turned out good. The…
Protesters rip Oak Lawn over lack of accountability in man’s death a year ago
Spread the loveThe Oak Lawn Fall Music Festival received great reviews but the village board also listened to heated comments regarding a local man who was struck and killed by a motorist a year ago. Fadia Muhamad, the mother of Murod Kurdi, who was struck and killed by a passing motorist in 2023 in the…
Joan Crawford and Bette Davis visit the Worth Public Library
Spread the loveThe enmity between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis created one of the most famous celebrity feuds of all time. Why did they hate each other so much? Well, it’s a long story, but to share it was actress, Jillann Gabrielle, who portrayed both roles at the Worth Public Library, 6917 W. 111th St.,…
Football | Libertyville downs Richards for second year in row
Spread the loveLibertyville 48, Richards 15 Libertyville beat Richards in Week 2 for the second straight season, this time 48-15, to drop the Bulldogs to 1-1. Jaiden Henry scored on a 20-yard reception and Myles Mitchell tallied on a 2-yard TD run for Richards. The Bulldogs travel to Eisnehower this week for both teams’ South…
Football | Nazareth’s Logan Malachuk completes nine passes — six of them for TDs — in romp
Spread the loveNazareth 42, Kenwood 15 Nazareth senior quarterback Logan Malachuk threw for 275 yards and six touchdown passes as the Roadrunners (2-0) trounced Kenwood, 42-15, in a non-conference matchup in LaGrange Park. Malachuk, who has been under center the past two seasons as nazareth won back-to-back state championships, did that damage despite completing only…
Football | Flutman and Boersma connect for four scores as Chicago Christian tops Elmwood Park
Spread the loveCaden Boersma returned a punt for a touchdown and caught four scoring passes from Christian Flutman as Chicago Christian defeated Elmwood Park, 49-16, on Sept. 6 in Palos Heights. Kenny Jager had a rushing TD for the Knights (2-0), who were up 49-0 at halftime. Chicago Christian plays at Wheaton Academy this week.
Football | Jake Ritter shines and Marist is great late in win over Brother Rice
Spread the loveIt’s a new era at Marist under first-year head coach Mike Fitzgerald and his staff. But the more things change, the more they stay the same; at least when it comes to the recent history of the program’s annual neighborhood matchup with Brother Rice. RedHawks running back John McAuliffe’s second touchdown of the…
Summit Officer Earns National Honor, New Police Officer Joins Force
Spread the loveSummit Police Officer Armando Dominguez received a standing ovation at the Summit Village Board meeting after being named National School Resource Officer of the Year, an honor presented at the National School Safety Conference. The award recognizes school resource officers who have made specific and significant contributions to their local communities or school…
Neighbors
Stagg High Welcomes 3,500 for Marching Band Competition
Spread the loveMarching bands came together last weekend to share their love of music. Stagg High School, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills, welcomed more than 20 marching bands from around the area at its annual March Band Jamboree on September 7. The Jamboree began with the national anthem performed by area middle schoolers from…
McCook Fire Hydrants Get Date With Sandblaster, New Paint Job
Spread the loveMcCook residents will soon see crews sandblasting and repainting fire hydrants around the village Mayor Terrance Carr, after the village board meeting on Tuesday night Sept. 3, confirmed that testing has been completed on the fire hydrants village-wide. “We’re in the final steps. The flow testing was done. Everything turned out good. The…
Protesters rip Oak Lawn over lack of accountability in man’s death a year ago
Spread the loveThe Oak Lawn Fall Music Festival received great reviews but the village board also listened to heated comments regarding a local man who was struck and killed by a motorist a year ago. Fadia Muhamad, the mother of Murod Kurdi, who was struck and killed by a passing motorist in 2023 in the…
Joan Crawford and Bette Davis visit the Worth Public Library
Spread the loveThe enmity between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis created one of the most famous celebrity feuds of all time. Why did they hate each other so much? Well, it’s a long story, but to share it was actress, Jillann Gabrielle, who portrayed both roles at the Worth Public Library, 6917 W. 111th St.,…
Football | Libertyville downs Richards for second year in row
Spread the loveLibertyville 48, Richards 15 Libertyville beat Richards in Week 2 for the second straight season, this time 48-15, to drop the Bulldogs to 1-1. Jaiden Henry scored on a 20-yard reception and Myles Mitchell tallied on a 2-yard TD run for Richards. The Bulldogs travel to Eisnehower this week for both teams’ South…
Football | Nazareth’s Logan Malachuk completes nine passes — six of them for TDs — in romp
Spread the loveNazareth 42, Kenwood 15 Nazareth senior quarterback Logan Malachuk threw for 275 yards and six touchdown passes as the Roadrunners (2-0) trounced Kenwood, 42-15, in a non-conference matchup in LaGrange Park. Malachuk, who has been under center the past two seasons as nazareth won back-to-back state championships, did that damage despite completing only…
Football | Flutman and Boersma connect for four scores as Chicago Christian tops Elmwood Park
Spread the loveCaden Boersma returned a punt for a touchdown and caught four scoring passes from Christian Flutman as Chicago Christian defeated Elmwood Park, 49-16, on Sept. 6 in Palos Heights. Kenny Jager had a rushing TD for the Knights (2-0), who were up 49-0 at halftime. Chicago Christian plays at Wheaton Academy this week.
Football | Jake Ritter shines and Marist is great late in win over Brother Rice
Spread the loveIt’s a new era at Marist under first-year head coach Mike Fitzgerald and his staff. But the more things change, the more they stay the same; at least when it comes to the recent history of the program’s annual neighborhood matchup with Brother Rice. RedHawks running back John McAuliffe’s second touchdown of the…
Summit Officer Earns National Honor, New Police Officer Joins Force
Spread the loveSummit Police Officer Armando Dominguez received a standing ovation at the Summit Village Board meeting after being named National School Resource Officer of the Year, an honor presented at the National School Safety Conference. The award recognizes school resource officers who have made specific and significant contributions to their local communities or school…
