OH OH - Carnell Sledge, 40, & Katherine Brown, 33, shot dead in park, Cleveland, 4 Jun 2019

[Here_I_Am]

Hello to anyone still following this story.

I've been poring over all the news, media, etc. on the internet regarding this case to gather it all in one place. It's amazing how little the LE agencies have released. Most of the information is from interviews with the families or stuff from insiders on this forum. I understand that withholding information can be strategic, but after three years, you'd think they'd alter strategies.

I'm wondering if either of the people with inside knowledge of the case on this forum have any answers or insight intomy questions below. Thanks. @AFoxInSocks @mgeni

• Are there phone records of the victims (i.e. text, email, call, GPS, 'pings')?
  • Who had the victims been in contact with that day? That week?
  • Where had the victims been that day? That week?
  • Were there any concerning messages found on their phones?
  • Are there texts indicating whether their meeting at the park was impromptu or planned?
    • If yes, who suggested the meeting?
    • If yes, who suggested the location?
• Were either Carnell or Kate known to frequent this specific area of Rocky River Reservation?
  • How did they know to meet at this specific area in the park when arranging their meeting?
• Which victim arrived at the park first?
  • Did the first one to arrive wait on the bench or wait in their car until the other one arrived?
  • Were there any other cars parked in the lot, besides the mysterious roofer who didn't see or hear anything? Where? Who owned them? Which spots were they in?
• Are there any police reports from North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Fairview Park, Westlake, etc. from the five years prior to the murders involving either of the victims?

 

[Here_I_Am]

I know this forum isn't particularly active, but I'm still gonna post here if I think of something to say. I happened to be driving near the Rocky River Reservation yesterday so I stopped by the site of the murders. I confess that I don't think I've ever visited this park, even though I grew up in the area. As an East Side suburbanite, the west suburbs sometimes felt like a different world as a kid.

My stop coincidentally happened to be at around the same time of day as the murders. It was a sunny day, although it wasn't Friday like the day of the murders and it was probably quite a bit warmer than the day of the murders, too.

Anyways, I made some random unorganized observations based on my brief visit:

• If I knew nothing else about the crime, I could understand how nobody was an eyewitness to it. Even though the bench is very close to the road and pull-off lot, there were not a ton of people just walking around the area during my visit. While the bench and pull-off parking lot are on the river side of the road, the walking and biking trail appears to run on the other side of the road.
• That being said, I find it hard to believe the roofer doing clerical work in his truck didn't see or hear anything.
  • If he was in the parking spot furthest away from the bench, it's possible a large shrub/tree blocked his view of the bench itself.
  • However, it's a fairly open area, meaning that shrub/tree would not have blocked his view of the assailant entering or exiting that one specific blind spot.
• The bench is much closer to the edge of the riverbank that I had thought. If you're sitting on the bench, there's basically enough room to place your feet on the ground and that's it.
  • I'd always assumed the assailant came from behind, since that seems like the easiest way to sneak up on two people in an open area like that one.
  • However, Carnell's body was found by the kayakers lying on the ground above the riverbank. What was the arrangement of his body relative to the bench? If the gunshot was powerful enough to knock his body off the bench, he'd almost assuredly have also been found in the riverbank below given the small patch of Earth that lies between the bench and the bank. There's barely enough room for a small human body to fit there lying down, let alone a grown man. Is it possible his body was found to the side of the bench, indicating the assailant approached from the side?
• I recently saw a NewsNation television piece that had been uploaded online while I was trying to consume as much public information as I could about this case. I think it was originally from a couple years ago but I'm not sure. One of the FBI agents working on the case was part of the panel. The host asked if the park was like most others, with a lot of entry/exit points. The FBI agent seemed to agree with that assessment.
  • That is not my assessment of the geographic situation at all.
  • Because the park is geographically narrow and runs alongside the river, it's basically surrounded by cliffs and other high valley walls. That means that "official" entry/exit points are actually fairly spaced apart, since they need to build a road that allows visitors to descend into the valley at every entrance they create.
  • Anyone trying to exit outside of those official points would likely have to do so on foot, or maybe a bike. Even then, they'd have to do some fairly rigorous climbing to get up and out of the valley, and they'd end up in somebody's backyard or a neighborhood looking disheveled. There are a lot of places to hide in the park, but not a lot of places to exit.
  • Considering how quickly the police were on site, I think it's possible the suspect was still in the park trying to find a way out when they got there. If they'd had a drone or helicopter on hand, I bet they could have found the assailant.
  • The water was also very shallow when I visited, meaning it's theoretically possible the gunman could have crossed the river to the other side in the several minutes before the kayakers found the bodies. That would put him in a very visible spot, though, so I doubt this theory.

I don't really have any insightful new observation. Just my 2 cents from my first physical visit to the site of the crime. I encourage anyone else following this forum thread to do their own independent research for this case. I'm not talking about visiting the park necessarily. I think someone outside of LE will break this case if it's to be broken.

 

[Here_I_Am]

I have sent public records requests to the relevant police authorities. If anything of note is returned, I will update this forum.

 

[psych-nurse]

True Crime Garage released a podcast on this case yesterday. I am from Columbus and have never heard of this case before. Hopefully, there is some movement soon for the families' sake.

 

[Betty P]

True Crime Garage released a podcast on this case yesterday. I am from Columbus and have never heard of this case before. Hopefully, there is some movement soon for the families' sake.

It's one of those terrible crimes you assume will be solved, but isn't. Not sure why.

 

[Betty P]

I know this forum isn't particularly active, but I'm still gonna post here if I think of something to say. I happened to be driving near the Rocky River Reservation yesterday so I stopped by the site of the murders. I confess that I don't think I've ever visited this park, even though I grew up in the area. As an East Side suburbanite, the west suburbs sometimes felt like a different world as a kid.

My stop coincidentally happened to be at around the same time of day as the murders. It was a sunny day, although it wasn't Friday like the day of the murders and it was probably quite a bit warmer than the day of the murders, too.

Anyways, I made some random unorganized observations based on my brief visit:

• If I knew nothing else about the crime, I could understand how nobody was an eyewitness to it. Even though the bench is very close to the road and pull-off lot, there were not a ton of people just walking around the area during my visit. While the bench and pull-off parking lot are on the river side of the road, the walking and biking trail appears to run on the other side of the road.
• That being said, I find it hard to believe the roofer doing clerical work in his truck didn't see or hear anything.
  • If he was in the parking spot furthest away from the bench, it's possible a large shrub/tree blocked his view of the bench itself.
  • However, it's a fairly open area, meaning that shrub/tree would not have blocked his view of the assailant entering or exiting that one specific blind spot.
• The bench is much closer to the edge of the riverbank that I had thought. If you're sitting on the bench, there's basically enough room to place your feet on the ground and that's it.
  • I'd always assumed the assailant came from behind, since that seems like the easiest way to sneak up on two people in an open area like that one.
  • However, Carnell's body was found by the kayakers lying on the ground above the riverbank. What was the arrangement of his body relative to the bench? If the gunshot was powerful enough to knock his body off the bench, he'd almost assuredly have also been found in the riverbank below given the small patch of Earth that lies between the bench and the bank. There's barely enough room for a small human body to fit there lying down, let alone a grown man. Is it possible his body was found to the side of the bench, indicating the assailant approached from the side?
• I recently saw a NewsNation television piece that had been uploaded online while I was trying to consume as much public information as I could about this case. I think it was originally from a couple years ago but I'm not sure. One of the FBI agents working on the case was part of the panel. The host asked if the park was like most others, with a lot of entry/exit points. The FBI agent seemed to agree with that assessment.
  • That is not my assessment of the geographic situation at all.
  • Because the park is geographically narrow and runs alongside the river, it's basically surrounded by cliffs and other high valley walls. That means that "official" entry/exit points are actually fairly spaced apart, since they need to build a road that allows visitors to descend into the valley at every entrance they create.
  • Anyone trying to exit outside of those official points would likely have to do so on foot, or maybe a bike. Even then, they'd have to do some fairly rigorous climbing to get up and out of the valley, and they'd end up in somebody's backyard or a neighborhood looking disheveled. There are a lot of places to hide in the park, but not a lot of places to exit.
  • Considering how quickly the police were on site, I think it's possible the suspect was still in the park trying to find a way out when they got there. If they'd had a drone or helicopter on hand, I bet they could have found the assailant.
  • The water was also very shallow when I visited, meaning it's theoretically possible the gunman could have crossed the river to the other side in the several minutes before the kayakers found the bodies. That would put him in a very visible spot, though, so I doubt this theory.

I don't really have any insightful new observation. Just my 2 cents from my first physical visit to the site of the crime. I encourage anyone else following this forum thread to do their own independent research for this case. I'm not talking about visiting the park necessarily. I think someone outside of LE will break this case if it's to be broken.

I just finished listening to the True Crime Garage podcast about these murders. They did a pretty good job. A couple of things they discussed stood out:

Timeline
The window of time LE gave between the time victims entered the park and the estimated time they were killed was fairly brief. Depending on news reporting, it could be as long as 15-20 minutes or as short as 10 minutes. It seems a strong possibility that the killer was following one of the victims and attacked them shortly after they went to the bench and sat down.

Surveillance camera footage

LE gives very specific times for when the victims entered the park. In a later press conference, when a reporter asked specific questions about LE's investigation into locations of surveillance cameras in the area, LE refused to answer. It could mean that there is some video of one or both of the victims cars approaching or entering the park. JMO, likely. If so, its also possible LE saw the killer's car.

Killer's familiarity with the park

As you mentioned above @Here_I_Am, the park at that location isn't easy to enter or exit on foot. It's located inside what's basically a river gorge, with steep walls on either side. The main road follows the path of the park along the river. The roads entering and exiting from there are steep.

This portion of the park is on the west side of Cleveland. Clevelanders are famous for being either "west side" or "east side". Since the killer entered the park in broad daylight at 5 pm to walk across a grassy area and shoot 2 people dead, it seems safe to assume they were comfortable and familiar with that area.

Ballistics Evidence

LE has said almost nothing about the weapon used by the killer. Some of the reports mention police finding 3 cartridge shells near the murder scene, but no information has been given about the type of ammo or weapon.


Victim Information

LE has released very little information about the victims. We know where Carnell worked and some information about his volunteer work in the community. We also know he sort of counseled people. We don't know any other information that could help the public understand how he came to be a murder victim.

We know even less about Katherine Brown. We don't really know where she lived, very little about whether she had a job, a career, etc. Did she have a roommate? Did she ask to meet Carnell in the park because she needed privacy away from her home or apartment? It's not even known what kind of car she was driving, what hobbies she had, how she met Carnell, etc. JMO, I think there's a reason why the public knows so little about the victims, but I don't want to say here.

JMO, it's safe to assume the killer was driving a car and had possibly followed one of the victims to their meeting place at the park. They must have driven away quickly, blending in with all the traffic in that area.

Here's a link to Google Maps Street View of one of the exits closest to the crime scene. As you can see, its a very steep road uphill from the Valley Parkway.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Here's the intersection of Lorain Rd at the top of Mastick Rd. Very likely there are surveillance cameras in this area. There are many businesses and, across the bridge, a large hospital complex.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Here's the Lorain Rd bridge over the MetroParks. The crime scene is below the bridge to the right side. As you can see, its a very high bridge, unlikely anyone driving across the bridge saw the murders down below. In the distance of this photo, at the end of the bridge, is the Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital complex. Very likely there were security cams there.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Another park exit north of the crime scene that the killer could have used. Very steep, older road that comes out behind the hospital complex. I didn't know this road existed until I saw it on Google maps.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[Betty P]

Hello to anyone still following this story.

I've been poring over all the news, media, etc. on the internet regarding this case to gather it all in one place. It's amazing how little the LE agencies have released. Most of the information is from interviews with the families or stuff from insiders on this forum. I understand that withholding information can be strategic, but after three years, you'd think they'd alter strategies.

I'm wondering if either of the people with inside knowledge of the case on this forum have any answers or insight intomy questions below. Thanks. @AFoxInSocks @mgeni

• Are there phone records of the victims (i.e. text, email, call, GPS, 'pings')?
  • Who had the victims been in contact with that day? That week?
  • Where had the victims been that day? That week?
  • Were there any concerning messages found on their phones?
  • Are there texts indicating whether their meeting at the park was impromptu or planned?
    • If yes, who suggested the meeting?
    • If yes, who suggested the location?
• Were either Carnell or Kate known to frequent this specific areaof Rocky River Reservation?
  • How did they know to meet at this specific area in the park when arranging their meeting?
• Which victim arrived at the park first?
  • Did the first one to arrive wait on the bench or wait in their car until the other one arrived?
  • Were there any other cars parked in the lot, besides the mysterious roofer who didn't see or hear anything? Where? Who owned them? Which spots were they in?
• Are there any police reports from North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Fairview Park, Westlake, etc. from the five years prior to the murders involving either of the victims?

The answers to most of these questions is unknown at this time. I posted above about the scarce information publicly available about the victims, where they lived, how they arranged their meeting, etc. It's assumed Kate was the one who contacted Carnell for a meeting because Carnell already had plans that evening to visit his grandmother.

It's presumed that MetroParks LE has this information, but isn't sharing it with the public.

There was at least one other car/truck in the lot. There was a man taking a break while he did some paperwork for his roofing job. He said he didn't see anyone and didn't hear any gunshots. MetroParks LE is handling the case. At some point the FBI helped investigate, as well. Other than that, not much else is publicly known.

JMO, the reward for information about the killer is $100,000. That's a pretty significant reward.

 

[Here_I_Am]

Hi. I'm still here. A new article with lots of new tidbits (at least to me) was published in Cleveland Scene. The families and friends of the victims -- as well as the couple that found the bodies -- are fairly scathing in their remarks towards the Metroparks Police.

Four Years Later, Officials Report No Progress in Metroparks Double Homicide Cold Case, But Fresh Hope Comes With National Coverage

Families of the victims feel the Metroparks bungled the investigation from the very start and continue to refuse outside assistance

www.clevescene.com

 

[Here_I_Am]

Today is the 5th anniversary of the double murder of Kate Brown and Carnell Sledge. RIP.

 

[PommyMommy]

The #FBI offers a reward of up to $25,000 for info leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the deaths of longtime friends Carnell E. Sledge and Katherine C. Brown on June 4, 2019, in Fairview Park, Ohio: https://fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/carnell-e-sledge-and-katherine-c-brown

https://twitter.com/x/status/1797992441259151809

 

[dotr]

Laura Morrison September 21, 2024

‘Not over’: Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ bringing local murder case to national spotlight

A Netflix show is bringing a five-year-old Northeast Ohio cold case to the national spotlight.

www.yahoo.com

''FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio (WJW) — A Netflix show is bringing a five-year-old Northeast Ohio cold case to the national spotlight.

When “Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 5” hits next month, viewers are going to learn about the murders of Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown, which took place in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation in broad daylight back in 2019.''

 

[Here_I_Am]

I pray that this leads to something tangible.

Laura Morrison September 21, 2024

‘Not over’: Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ bringing local murder case to national spotlight

A Netflix show is bringing a five-year-old Northeast Ohio cold case to the national spotlight.

www.yahoo.com

View attachment 532844
''FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio (WJW) — A Netflix show is bringing a five-year-old Northeast Ohio cold case to the national spotlight.

When “Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 5” hits next month, viewers are going to learn about the murders of Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown, which took place in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation in broad daylight back in 2019.''

 

[dotr]

Author: Kaitor Kay September 28, 2024 rbbm

Unsolved Cleveland Metroparks double murder to be featured in Netflix series

Carnell "Nell" Sledge and Katherine “Kate” Brown were shot to death while sitting on a bench at Rocky River Reservation in 2019.

www.wkyc.com

''NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — A Cleveland Metroparks double murder cold case will be featured in a Netflix documentary series next week. "Unsolved Mysteries" will dive into the killings of 40-year-old Carnell "Nell" Sledge and 33-year-old Katherine “Kate” Brown, who were shot to death while sitting on a bench at Rocky River Reservation in 2019.''

"We don't hear much because it's an open investigation," Rao said. "It's been five years too long. We miss them dearly. It's gut wrenching to be standing here knowing that two beautiful people were taken, their lives were taken for absolutely no reason in broad daylight, 50 feet away from a very busy street in rush hour on a sunny June day. It's just you can't, you would never imagine that that could happen to one of your loved ones in a safe Cleveland suburb."
And the case will be getting global attention now. On October 2, the new season of Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" is going to feature the cold case of Sledge and Brown''.