Documentary on murder of Rolling Meadows student airs Wednesday

A documentary about the 2001 downstate murder of Shannon McNamara, a college student from Rolling Meadows, airs Wednesday night on the Investigation Discovery channel.

The one-hour episode, entitled “Grim Reaper,” is part of the six-episode “Murder U” series that examines murders that have taken place on college campuses.

McNamara, a Rolling Meadows High School graduate and aspiring teacher, was killed during her senior year at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Anthony Mertz was convicted in 2003 of breaking into her apartment, then strangling and mutilating her. He is currently serving life in prison after his death sentence was among those commuted when Gov. Pat Quinn abolished the death penalty in 2011.

The episode airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday.