The Price of Betrayal: Ruth Collins

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: An Illinois mother vanishes without a trace. A chilling surveillance video reveals a horrifying truth. And a son’s haunting confession leaves a courtroom stunned. In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers, we unravel the tragic case of Ruth Collins, a woman whose life was marked by loss—only to meet a fate more horrifying than anyone could have imagined. Anyone with information about this case should contact the Kankakee Police Department at 815-933-0425. 

This is the story of Ruth Collins. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Speaks to the planning.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
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(00:22):
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Speaker 1 (00:46):
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
delve into a case of an Illinois mother who mysteriously vanished.
But what made this case even more tragic was where

(01:07):
the evidence would lead to. This is the story of
Ruth Collins. At the time she disappeared, forty nine year
old Ruth resided in Kankakee, Illinois, living with her twenty
nine year old son, Elijah Harrell, on the six hundred
block of North Entrance Avenue. At first, everything seemed normal,

(01:31):
but then on October first, twenty twenty, Ruth seemed to
just disappear. When her niece grew concerned over her silence,
she contacted the police, but what happened next was quite chilling.
When authorities arrived at Ruth's home, they were met by
her son, Elijah. His response was cold and almost mechanical.

(01:56):
He told them that she wasn't home and how she
wouldn't be coming back. He gave no further explanation and
showed no further concern. In the coming days Ruth vanished,
a piece of disturbing evidence emerged. Surveillance footish captured a

(02:16):
figure in the early hours of morning, a man dragging
a large blue trash bin near a railroad track. The
time was four am in the day October second. When
Ruth's family finally saw the footage, their worst fears were confirmed.

(02:38):
The man in the video was her son, Elijah. Investigators
pieced together that Elijah had been using Root's EBT card
in the days after her disappearance. He knew she wasn't
coming back. For weeks, the question had loomed where was Ruth?

(03:02):
Then on October twenty eighth, the search came to a
terrifying end. Rute's body was discovered in a place no
one should ever be found, dumped in the Soldier Creek
Tunnel on the four hundred block of Northeast Avenue. The

(03:24):
conditions of her remains told a brutal story. Stabbed multiple times,
partially decomposed and discarded like she meant nothing, But of
course she meant so much more, and now she was gone.
Two days later, authorities moved in, Elijah was arrested, and

(03:48):
he was charged with first degree murder and concealment of
a homicidal death. During a shocking moment that left the
courtroom stunned, Elijah spoke out. He made a single plan,
saying how he apologized from the bottom of his heart
and not to take it too hard on him? But

(04:08):
what drove him to kill the very woman who brought
him into this world? Why did Ruth Collins have to die?
To this day, those questions remain unanswered. What makes this
case even more heartbreaking is that Ruth was no stranger

(04:28):
to tragedy. She had already endured one. In two thousand
and two, her twelve year old son Dishaun and his
friend Peter Jackson unfortunately, had died while trying to save others' lives.
The two boys were in the kanka ke River attempting
to rescue three other children from drowning. Suddenly, Daishon and

(04:51):
Peter were swept away by the current, losing their own lives.
Ruth had already lost one son, and now her life
had been taken by the other. My thoughts and prayers
go out to the rest of Ruth's family as this

(05:12):
case continues to unfold. Anyone with information should contact the
Kankakee Police Department. Their contact information can be found in
the description box elo. As we wrap up this episode,
don't forget to hit the follow button to stay updated
on this case and others like it. Also, be sure
to subscribe to Hunting for Answers on YouTube and stay

(05:34):
connected with us on Instagram and TikTok. Thank you so
much for joining us on another episode Until next time.
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network,

(05:55):
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you you
listen to your favorite shows.