New Twist in Death of Woman on Airport Luggage Carousel

A police report has shed light on the death of a missionary whose body was found on the luggage carousel of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport last week.

Authorities determined that Virginia Vinton, 57, took her own life inside the airport. Her body was found with an electrical cord wrapped around the neck, reported the Daily Mail, which obtained an incident report. Initial reports had suggested Vinton died after becoming “entangled” in one of the facility’s luggage belts.

While Vinton’s cause of death has been confirmed by authorities, questions remain about the circumstances surrounding her death. It’s still unclear why the North Carolina native was in the Windy City or why she chose to allegedly take her own life inside a busy airport she did not appear to have ties to.

Vinton’s body was found by a baggage handler starting his shift on Aug. 8, the Mail reported. That worker reportedly told police he started up the carousel like normal when he spotted Vinton, who he at first thought was merely watching him work. Once her stare didn’t break, he reportedly got an “eerie feeling” and realized she was dead.

Police said Vinton was captured on airport security cameras leaving her seat and entering a restricted area at 2:27 a.m. on Thursday. She was found approximately five hours later by the worker.

The Mail reported that Vinton worked for Wycliffe Ministries in North Carolina. She had a husband, reportedly two years her senior, and two daughters in their early twenties. The family reportedly lived for 12 years in Africa, where they translated the Bible into local languages.

The newspaper reported that Wycliffe’s website indicated that the family liked to visit friends in the midwest in the summer, providing a possible explanation for her presence in Chicago in August.

Vinton’s family has not commented publicly about her death.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.