Loving Mother A No-Show For Office Holiday Party

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Marilyn Arnopol was bludgeoned to death in her home just days before Christmas in 1996.

Sheryl Jamerson, a local Chicago-area business owner, was planning to hold her office holiday luncheon on the morning of December 20, 1996.

One of her favorite part-time employees, a kind and caring 67-year-old lady named Marilyn Arnopol, was supposed to arrive at 10 a.m.

It just so happened that Marilyn was also Sheryl's mother.

So when Marilyn didn't appear at the office party, Sheryl became highly suspicious.

A couple of hours later, after the get-together, Sheryl had plans to meet up with her own daughter in Chicago for some afternoon tea. While on her way, Sheryl's husband called her cell phone, notifying her that Marilyn had still not arrived at the office.  Sheryl then pulled off the highway and drove directly to her mom's home to check on her well-being.

When she arrived at Marilyn's house, Sheryl peered through the garage door window and noticed her mom's car was still parked inside. Then, using her own key to open the front door, Sheryl proceeded inside to investigate further.

Upon entering Marilyn's home, Sheryl noticed some lights were left on and felt something was awry, but nothing would ever prepare her for the gruesome discovery she was about to make on the frigid late-autumn afternoon.

As Sheryl cautiously walked through the house, she noticed light emanating from the basement door, which had been left slightly ajar. When she ambled down the basement stairs, she saw her beloved mother lying motionless on the cold, hard floor -- her face completely shrouded in blood.

Sheryl called 9-1-1, but by then, it was too late. 

Her dear mother, Marilyn, had been murdered.

Over 10 Years Later Few Leads Surface

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Cops consider former Chicago Police Officer Alex Sierra the primary suspect in Marilyn's death, but have yet to file any charges.

Investigators tell us the scene was a gruesome one, as Marilyn had suffered 'extreme blunt-force trauma' to her head.

According to police, Marilyn had been bludgeoned to death by a hammer-like object; her skull had been fractured multiple times and her body was surrounded by a large pool of blood.

But who would commit such a horrible act to a mother of four at the onset of her Golden Years?  And why?

In the 10-plus years that have passed since the brutal murder, cops with the Northbrook P.D. have come up with few solid leads.

Investigation Leads Cops In One Direction

According to police, Marilyn's only adopted daughter, Vera, had been living with Chicago Police Officer Alex Sierra, with whom she has a child.

Cops tell us that at the time, Sierra had not only been the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation involving bogus checks, but he had also been a suspect in an armed robbery dating back to 1994.

Det. Cmdr. Scott Dunham of the Northbrook Police Department tells AMW that throughout their investigation into Marilyn's death, Sierra's name has come up time and time again.

Police tell us that Marilyn had cut Sierra a check for $8,000 under the presumption that the money would be put towards a purchase of  "foreclosure property" for he and Vera.

Sierra allegedly told her the purchase had to be made quickly, and he needed the money in a pinch.  Marilyn, looking out for her daughter's best interests, trusted his story and gave him the money.

In reality, however, there never was any foreclosure property.  According to police, Sierra was using Marilyn's money to repay another debt he'd previously owed in an attempt to conceal even more of his alleged financial misdoings.

Sierra eventually wrote Marilyn a check for the full $8,000 in the month prior to her death -- but the check bounced.  Weeks later, he cut Marilyn a second check for the amount in full.  But on December 18, one day prior to her murder, that check bounced, as well.

Dunham tells us that in an interview with Sierra, he claimed to have met with Marilyn at her house -- either on the day before or the day of her death -- but he was unable to remember which day it was, specifically.

Cell phone records verify that Sierra was in the area of her home the evening of the 19th.

Sierra told police that Marilyn was completely accepting of his inability to pay her the $8,000. He went on to say that Marilyn kindly told him he could take his time and pay her back whenever the opportunity presented itself.

We're told that according to family and friends this is essentially the polar opposite of how Marilyn would typically have handled a situation involving her finances, as she was protective of her funds and did not appreciate being run through the proverbial ringer.

To their knowledge, cops tell us that Sierra was the last person to contact Marilyn -- and that's where their trail goes cold.

Charges Yet To Be Filed Long After Heinous Murder

Eight months after Marilyn's brutal murder, FBI agents arrested Sierra on the armed robbery charges, and he spent almost the entire next decade in jail until his eventual release in 2007.

But was disgraced former cop Alex Sierra in any way involved with Marilyn's murder? Dunham tells AMW, "He's the primary suspect." Yet to this day, cops haven't filed any charges in her death.

In the many years that have come and gone, her killer remains free, and the cops working on this tragic case would like nothing more than to give Marilyn's family the closure they so desperately desire.

If you know anything about the events surrounding the heinous killing of Marilyn Arnopol in December 1996, you've got to call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.