Balloons, all purple, were released into the sky at 2:30 p.m. Monday in an Englewood park in memory of 11-year-old Ryan Harris. On July 27, 1998, at that hour and minute, Ryan’s body was found in a weed-filled lot near the park that’s now named in her honor.
On Monday, community members gathered in Ryan Harris Memorial Park to recall the horrific crime, and to continue efforts to improve public safety and provide more resources to curb violence.
“Sometimes I just get overwhelmed that I don’t know what to say. I’m thankful and appreciative that the community hasn’t forgotten about it,” a tearful Sabrina Harris, Ryan’s mother, told the Sun-Times.
On July 28, 1998, Ryan’s body was discovered among tall weeds in an empty lot. The 11-year-old had been beaten and sexually assaulted. Her underwear was stuffed down her throat. The crime shocked the city and drew national outrage.
Authorities initially said that two boys, ages 7 and 8, confessed to the killing. But DNA evidence found at the crime scene led police to convicted child sex offender Floyd Durr. Durr pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. He died at Pontiac correctional center in April of 2024.
Ryan’s mother appeared before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in October 2021 to argue against Durr being granted clemency.
The families of the two boys wrongfully accused in the killing settled with the city for nearly $8 million, with the city not admitting any wrongdoing.
The Harris family has experienced other tragedies since Ryan’s murder. In 2019, Ryan’s brother, Bryan Harris, was killed in a shootout in south suburban Harvey. In 2013, her cousin, Shaneda Lawrence, was shot and killed as the family gathered in Ryan Harris Memorial Park to mourn a loved one who had died.
Today, July 28 is celebrated each year as a sign of community strength and resilience while remembering the life of Ryan and others who have been lost to violence.
“Everybody’s just out here letting the kids have fun. It’s the day for the kids.
It’s not for the adults,” Darryl Smith said. “We named it
Englewood Pride Day.” It “is a day for no crime, and it’s Ryan’s day.”
Despite a hot sun bearing down on the park, residents gathered for face-painting, snow cones and music. Children played on swings, slides and play structures and ran around the water fountain as adults huddled from the heat in the shade of tents.
Smith, 55, joined the community in searching for Ryan’s body and remembers the day she was found.
“I remember getting a call … a little girl was missing. And we went out and we searched … we had people from 71st, 69th, 67th, 63rd, and this whole general area … and from that day forward, we haven’t stopped pushing to keep her memory alive, just to keep her legacy alive.”
Earlier in the day, Ald. William Hall (6th) dedicated a street sign that stands at the intersection of South Lowe Avenue and West Marquette Road and reads, “Honorary Ryan Harris Way.”
The park lacks public restrooms, and community members hope the city will provide more resources to build restrooms and a community meeting room. Efforts to provide the amenities were lost amid changing administrations at City Hall and the park district, according to resident Keith Harris. Harris, not directly related to Ryan Harris’ family, was part of the effort seeking to change the park’s name in 1999.
“The money is there. We just got to sit down and say, ‘OK, let’s make this a priority,’” said Harris, 58.