A month ago, the city of Joliet bore witness to a crime so gruesome that the Joliet Police Chief called it the worst thing he had seen in his career.
"I think you need to know this is one of the most brutal, heinous, really upsetting things that (I've seen) in 27 years of law enforcement," local police chief Mike Trafton said in a story on Jan. 12.
Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins were killed in January. Four people were arrested and indicted in the killings.
For the families of Glover and Rankins, the tragedy of losing a loved one to senseless violence in a gruesome crime was only the begining of a struggle. Mourning a loved one is bad enough. Being unable to pay for his funeral is even worse.
Yet that is exactly what the families faced when they tried to bury their sons.
“Nobody really sets aside money for that,” Yvette Kincer said.
Kincer co-owns Images Salon in Joliet and she took news of the tragedy and struggle to heart.
"I think it's a tragic loss in the community in general," Kincer said. "I think we as a community need to step up and help the community.”
Beginning at 10 a.m. Feb. 24, the stylists at Images Salon in Joliet will be busy cutting hair with the goal of helping the families of Glover and Rankins.
"I can't even fathom what happened,” Kincer said.
Kincer owns Images Salon with her husband Buddy. She said the salon has a personal link to the tragedy. The woman who works the front desk at the salon was friends with Eric Glover, who was teammates with her boyfriend on the Illinois Gators football team.
"All of the (teammates) are just devastated," Kincer said. "A lot of the guys got Eric's helmet number tattooed on their arms."
Through her employee, Kincer learned that both the Glover and Rankins families struggled to pay for funeral services and related costs for the boys and she wanted to do something to help.
"I would love to help the families raise as much money as possible," she said.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feb. 24, 15 stylists will be on hand to cut hair. Adult cuts are $15 and children are $10, with 100 percent of the money earned going to the families. Appointments are suggested by calling 815-436-4033. Walk-ins are also welcome.
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Editor's Note: An incorrect date was included in the original article. Patch regrets the error.
