A woman from Waxhaw, North Carolina tragically lost her life in a baggage conveyor system at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois on the morning of August 8, 2024. The individual, identified as 57-year-old Virginia Christine Vinton, was discovered by an airport worker at approximately 7:45 a.m. The unfortunate incident, which took place in Terminal 5, has been ruled a suicide by hanging and asphyxiation by local authorities.
Upon receiving notification of a person ensnared in machinery, the Chicago Fire Department rushed to the scene. Larry Langford, a representative for the department, verified that Vinton was indeed found caught up in the conveyor belt apparatus, which is used for luggage transportation.
Surveillance footage reveals that Vinton gained entry to the restricted baggage handling section around 2:27 a.m., but the precise details of how she found herself trapped remain unknown. The security camera did not record the moment she got entangled in the conveyor system. This zone, where Vinton’s body was discovered, is not accessible to general passengers and is generally limited to airport employees.
An individual close to the incident reported that Vinton was observed attempting to enter the employee area of Terminal 5 several times before successfully gaining access via a door specifically intended for luggage movement.
The Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) confirmed that they are not participating in the investigation, as Vinton was neither an airport nor an airline employee. Delta Air Lines, which operates from Terminal 5, also verified that Vinton had no affiliations with the company.
The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials are seeking any additional information or witnesses who may have observed unusual activities in Terminal 5 during the early hours of Thursday. They are urging anyone with relevant information to step forward.
Vinton, a mother of two grown daughters, was a missionary with Wycliffe Ministries in Waxhaw, along with her husband James, 59. They had lived in Mozambique for 12 years previously and their work involved translations of the Bible into various world languages.