CHICAGO, IL - On Thursday, August 8th, first responders found a deceased woman entangled in machinery at a non-public baggage processing area at the O'Hare International Airport.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Larry Langford, a spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) said that firefighters were called to the airport around 7:45 a.m. on reports of a person pinned in machinery used to move baggage. Upon arriving at the airport, he said that they discovered the woman entangled in a conveyer belt system in a baggage room.
Langford said that the baggage room was not publicly accessible and that investigators are working to figure out how she found her way into it. Scott Allen, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor said that an official with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) visited the scene and learned that the woman was not an airport employee.
CFD has since turned over the investigation to the Chicago Police Department (CPD). According to Fox News, even though the investigation is still in its early stage, authorities are considering the incident a suicide, The medical examiner's office has determined that the cause of death of the 57-year-old woman, who has since been identified as Virginia Christine Vinton, to be asphyxiation from being hanged. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance footage shows the women entering the restricted area just before 2:30 a.m. and that she was wearing flip flops. She was found entangled in the conveyer belt system several hours later by CFD firefighters. The video footage only showed her walking into the area. It did not show how she died.
A source familiar with the incident told the Chicago Sun-Times, "She was trying to gain access at multiple points. They are not sure what her motive was. She was trying to get to the secure side of the airport." Police have confirmed that the woman was at the airport over night, but it remains a mystery why she snuck into the employee's only area.
Authorities said that the area where the incident happened is restricted to employee access, and while it is considered secure, it is not considered a high security area. The area is filled with conveyer belts that bring luggage to and from airplanes in the international terminal, which also go through customs inspection.
As of this writing, police have not said whether they have been able to track Vinton's activities between 2:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. The investigation remains ongoing. Please note that this story includes discussion of suicide. If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health crisis or considering suicide, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Larry Langford, a spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) said that firefighters were called to the airport around 7:45 a.m. on reports of a person pinned in machinery used to move baggage. Upon arriving at the airport, he said that they discovered the woman entangled in a conveyer belt system in a baggage room.
Langford said that the baggage room was not publicly accessible and that investigators are working to figure out how she found her way into it. Scott Allen, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor said that an official with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) visited the scene and learned that the woman was not an airport employee.
CFD has since turned over the investigation to the Chicago Police Department (CPD). According to Fox News, even though the investigation is still in its early stage, authorities are considering the incident a suicide, The medical examiner's office has determined that the cause of death of the 57-year-old woman, who has since been identified as Virginia Christine Vinton, to be asphyxiation from being hanged. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance footage shows the women entering the restricted area just before 2:30 a.m. and that she was wearing flip flops. She was found entangled in the conveyer belt system several hours later by CFD firefighters. The video footage only showed her walking into the area. It did not show how she died.
A source familiar with the incident told the Chicago Sun-Times, "She was trying to gain access at multiple points. They are not sure what her motive was. She was trying to get to the secure side of the airport." Police have confirmed that the woman was at the airport over night, but it remains a mystery why she snuck into the employee's only area.
Authorities said that the area where the incident happened is restricted to employee access, and while it is considered secure, it is not considered a high security area. The area is filled with conveyer belts that bring luggage to and from airplanes in the international terminal, which also go through customs inspection.
As of this writing, police have not said whether they have been able to track Vinton's activities between 2:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. The investigation remains ongoing. Please note that this story includes discussion of suicide. If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health crisis or considering suicide, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
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