July 23, 2025 • 8 mins
In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In March 2016, Despite clear warning signs and a prime suspect, police turned down a key opportunity to question the man closest to her—before he died. Now, nearly a decade later, Sonya’s family is still searching for justice in a city where too many missing Black women are forgotten. Anyone with information about this case should contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8274.
This is the story of Sonya Rouse.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of The Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
discussing a case that took place in Chicago, Illinois, on
March fifth, twenty sixteen. This case remains unsolved till this day.
(00:23):
A family and community were left questioning why their loved
ones disappearance wasn't taken seriously. From the beginning, it all
began when a fifty year old woman with dreams of
being a journalist vanished without a trace from the South
side of Chicago. This is the story of Sonia Rouse.
(00:48):
Sonia Marie Rouse was born on August eleventh, nineteen sixty five.
She was a woman who dreamed big and worked very
hard to achieve her goals. Sonia graduate from Illinois State
University with a journalism degree with dreams of becoming a
broadcast journalist, but life had other plans. After college and
(01:12):
giving birth to her daughter, Sonya, began struggling with mental
health issues. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and developed
a substance abuse problem. As she tried to cope with
her emotional turmoil, Despite her struggles, Sonya maintained a close
relationship with her mother, Shirley enoch Hill. They had an
(01:36):
arrangement where Shirley would reach out to Sonya every few
days by text or by phone call. If she didn't
hear back from her daughter, Shirley would go to the police.
March fifth, twenty sixteen, a Saturday night in Chicago, Sonya
(01:56):
Rouse was last seen at eleven o'clock PM in the
vicinity of South Chaplain Avenue in East seventy fifth Street
on Chicago's South Side. At the time of her disappearance,
the fifty year old woman was wearing a blonde curly
wig and possibly carrying a purse. She was five eight
(02:17):
weighed one hundred and sixty pounds, and had pierced ears.
What makes this disappearance even more concerning, though, is that
Sonya was in an abusive relationship with her living boyfriend
at the time. Her mother believed this man could have
been involved in her daughter's disappearance. When Sonia didn't respond
(02:41):
to her mother's calls and texts, Shirley did exactly what
she said she would do. She went straight to the
Chicago Police Department and reported her daughter missing. But according
to the family, the police response was inadequate from the
very beginning. Sonia's sister, Bridget Rouse, would later state that
(03:04):
her sister deserved better than what she got from the
Chicago Police Department and the lead detective. The family felt
that because of Sonya's mental health issues and substance abuse history,
the police didn't take her disappearance seriously. They believed she
would just turn up eventually. The time going by turned
(03:30):
into months, Sonia's family continued to search for answers. They
knew something had happened to her. This just wasn't like
Sonia to disappear without contact for so long. Meanwhile, the
police had a golden opportunity to potentially follow the case
(03:50):
or at least get more information. Sonya's abusive boyfriend was
imprisoned after her disappearance. A corrections official even offered to
arrange a police interview with him while he was incarcerated, but,
in a decision that wouldn't exactly help the investigation, the
(04:11):
Chicago police declined the offer. The consequences of this missed
opportunity were devastating. The boyfriend was eventually released from prison,
and about a year later, he died with his death,
any chance of questioning the primary suspect in Sonya's disappearance
(04:34):
died along with him. The investigation had lost its most
crucial lead, and Sonia's family was left with even fewer
answers and growing frustration with the system that was supposed
to help them. Sonia's case became part of a larger
pattern that families of missing black women in Chicago were experiencing.
(04:58):
According to Chicago police data, thirty one percent of the
city's active missing persons cases involve black women and girls.
Sonya's mother spoke out about the treatment her family received, saying,
just because of the color of your skin, we shouldn't
(05:19):
be treated any differently, But that's what this world is
all about. The family felt that their loved one's case
wasn't prioritized because of both her race and her personal
struggles with mental health and substance abuse. Years passed without answers.
The police would close cases without even informing the families.
(05:42):
According to bridget Routes, the lack of communication from law
enforcement added insult to injury for a family that was
already devastated by such a horrific loss. In twenty twenty three,
nearly seven years after Sonya's disappearance, her family began speaking
out more publicly about their experience. They joined other families
(06:05):
of missing black women and girls to demand better treatment
from the Chicago Police Department. By October twenty twenty four,
the issue had gained enough attention to warrant a Chicago
City Council Public Safety Committee hearing. Community leaders and families
(06:26):
of missing black women and girls demanded action from the
police department. The hearing highlighted systemic issues in how missing
persons cases involving black women are handled. Family spoke about
feeling ignored, dismissed, and treated as less important than other cases. Today,
(06:49):
Sonia Marie Rouss would be fifty nine years old. Her
case remains unsolved, and her family continues to seek answers
about what happened to her on that March night in
twenty sixteen. My thoughts and prayers are with the family
and friends of Sonia rous. Authorities continue to investigate her case,
(07:11):
but after more than eight years, the trail has gone cold.
Anyone with information about this case should contact the Chicago
Police Department. You can find their information in the description
box below. As we close out this episode, don't forget
to Colleck the follow button to stay updated on Sonia's
(07:33):
case and others like it. Be sure to subscribe to
Hunting for Answers on YouTube and follow us on Instagram
and TikTok for our true crime updates. And if you
are watching us on YouTube, let us know your thoughts
on this case down in the comments. Thank you so
much for joining us on another episode until next time.
(08:09):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Hunting for Answers is a production of The Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
discussing a case that took place in Chicago, Illinois, on
March fifth, twenty sixteen. This case remains unsolved till this day.
(00:23):
A family and community were left questioning why their loved
ones disappearance wasn't taken seriously. From the beginning, it all
began when a fifty year old woman with dreams of
being a journalist vanished without a trace from the South
side of Chicago. This is the story of Sonia Rouse.
(00:48):
Sonia Marie Rouse was born on August eleventh, nineteen sixty five.
She was a woman who dreamed big and worked very
hard to achieve her goals. Sonia graduate from Illinois State
University with a journalism degree with dreams of becoming a
broadcast journalist, but life had other plans. After college and
(01:12):
giving birth to her daughter, Sonya, began struggling with mental
health issues. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and developed
a substance abuse problem. As she tried to cope with
her emotional turmoil, Despite her struggles, Sonya maintained a close
relationship with her mother, Shirley enoch Hill. They had an
(01:36):
arrangement where Shirley would reach out to Sonya every few
days by text or by phone call. If she didn't
hear back from her daughter, Shirley would go to the police.
March fifth, twenty sixteen, a Saturday night in Chicago, Sonya
(01:56):
Rouse was last seen at eleven o'clock PM in the
vicinity of South Chaplain Avenue in East seventy fifth Street
on Chicago's South Side. At the time of her disappearance,
the fifty year old woman was wearing a blonde curly
wig and possibly carrying a purse. She was five eight
(02:17):
weighed one hundred and sixty pounds, and had pierced ears.
What makes this disappearance even more concerning, though, is that
Sonya was in an abusive relationship with her living boyfriend
at the time. Her mother believed this man could have
been involved in her daughter's disappearance. When Sonia didn't respond
(02:41):
to her mother's calls and texts, Shirley did exactly what
she said she would do. She went straight to the
Chicago Police Department and reported her daughter missing. But according
to the family, the police response was inadequate from the
very beginning. Sonia's sister, Bridget Rouse, would later state that
(03:04):
her sister deserved better than what she got from the
Chicago Police Department and the lead detective. The family felt
that because of Sonya's mental health issues and substance abuse history,
the police didn't take her disappearance seriously. They believed she
would just turn up eventually. The time going by turned
(03:30):
into months, Sonia's family continued to search for answers. They
knew something had happened to her. This just wasn't like
Sonia to disappear without contact for so long. Meanwhile, the
police had a golden opportunity to potentially follow the case
(03:50):
or at least get more information. Sonya's abusive boyfriend was
imprisoned after her disappearance. A corrections official even offered to
arrange a police interview with him while he was incarcerated, but,
in a decision that wouldn't exactly help the investigation, the
(04:11):
Chicago police declined the offer. The consequences of this missed
opportunity were devastating. The boyfriend was eventually released from prison,
and about a year later, he died with his death,
any chance of questioning the primary suspect in Sonya's disappearance
(04:34):
died along with him. The investigation had lost its most
crucial lead, and Sonia's family was left with even fewer
answers and growing frustration with the system that was supposed
to help them. Sonia's case became part of a larger
pattern that families of missing black women in Chicago were experiencing.
(04:58):
According to Chicago police data, thirty one percent of the
city's active missing persons cases involve black women and girls.
Sonya's mother spoke out about the treatment her family received, saying,
just because of the color of your skin, we shouldn't
(05:19):
be treated any differently, But that's what this world is
all about. The family felt that their loved one's case
wasn't prioritized because of both her race and her personal
struggles with mental health and substance abuse. Years passed without answers.
The police would close cases without even informing the families.
(05:42):
According to bridget Routes, the lack of communication from law
enforcement added insult to injury for a family that was
already devastated by such a horrific loss. In twenty twenty three,
nearly seven years after Sonya's disappearance, her family began speaking
out more publicly about their experience. They joined other families
(06:05):
of missing black women and girls to demand better treatment
from the Chicago Police Department. By October twenty twenty four,
the issue had gained enough attention to warrant a Chicago
City Council Public Safety Committee hearing. Community leaders and families
(06:26):
of missing black women and girls demanded action from the
police department. The hearing highlighted systemic issues in how missing
persons cases involving black women are handled. Family spoke about
feeling ignored, dismissed, and treated as less important than other cases. Today,
(06:49):
Sonia Marie Rouss would be fifty nine years old. Her
case remains unsolved, and her family continues to seek answers
about what happened to her on that March night in
twenty sixteen. My thoughts and prayers are with the family
and friends of Sonia rous. Authorities continue to investigate her case,
(07:11):
but after more than eight years, the trail has gone cold.
Anyone with information about this case should contact the Chicago
Police Department. You can find their information in the description
box below. As we close out this episode, don't forget
to Colleck the follow button to stay updated on Sonia's
(07:33):
case and others like it. Be sure to subscribe to
Hunting for Answers on YouTube and follow us on Instagram
and TikTok for our true crime updates. And if you
are watching us on YouTube, let us know your thoughts
on this case down in the comments. Thank you so
much for joining us on another episode until next time.
(08:09):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Host
Hunter Gilmore
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