Unsolved Mysteries is a brand-new Netflix original show that takes a deep dive into several types of cases that went unsolved. The first episode is about the infamous double murders that happened at Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation in the year 2019.
Who found two people murdered by the bench and the river?
The episode began with Tony and Kaitlin Vacha reaching the riverside portion of Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation after 5:15 PM, only to find two lifeless bodies; one by the bench, the other by the river. Kaitlin claimed the body of the man by the bench felt warm. This helped her and her boyfriend conclude that the death must have happened very recently, just before their arrival. Kaitlin went back to her car, and on the way, she noticed a truck standing by and a person inside it. Tony frantically asked her to call the police and the phone call, as per the records, was made at 5:22 p.m. Detective Don Sylvis, and his team arrived at the scene of the crime on receiving the distress call. The police initially suspected it could be murder-suicide, but since the bodies had no firearms on or around them, it was dubbed murder. The police learnt the identities of the deceased through papers inside the two unattended cars from the parking lot: Kate Brown and Carnell Sledge.
What were the parents of the deceased informed?
Kate Brown’s family, which included her parents and two sisters, was informed about the unfortunate death in the middle of the night. Tom and Kim Brown, the parents, and Lauren and Alexandra, her sisters, were in shock. Her family revealed they’d known of Nell Sledge as her very close friend for the longest time. Carl and Darlene Sledge were Carnell’s parents, and he had a younger brother, Terrence. All of them had only good things to say about him. Carnell was a calm person who never resorted to violence. None of them knew of his friendship with Kate. It was established by the families that both were inherently good people who were struggling with their own issues. Kate was battling depression and anxiety, and Carnell was her biggest support. Carnell also spent a lot of time with children, which makes the motive of the murder bizarre as it seemed neither of them had any people that would want to harm them at any point.
What was the timeline shared by the police?
The local police had asked for the assistance of the FBI as well, to help them get to the bottom of the issue. Todd Krajek from the FBI had joined, as the local police department were baffled as the details regarding the case unfolded. Detective Don Sylvis during the time of the investigation did come across the man whose truck was parked near the spot Kate and Carnell were found dead. He claimed to have seen both arrive at the bench. The police were also baffled as the road near the park bench, the scene of the crime, usually had several cars coming and going. Yet there were no eyewitnesses to what happened to Kate and Carnell, including the person in the truck parked near the scene of crime.
The police concluded that the gun used to murder the two was a small caliber, which could be the reason the gunshot probably went unheard. The police, however, had a timeline of events leading up to the murders. The police said Kate’s apartment was overlooking the Rocky River Reservation. Kate, after coming back home after work, headed to the gym after 3:30 PM in the afternoon. The call records stated she had spoken to Carnell over the phone at the gym, which went on for ten minutes. Carnell left work and Kate left the gym to meet at the Rocky River Reservation. A police officer’s dash cam also provided footage of both of their cars headed to the place where they were eventually murdered.
Who were the suspects?
The person in the car near the crime scene was ruled out in the initial stages of the investigation. The police officers also ruled out robbery, as there was nothing missing from Kate or Carnell’s person after being killed. The next suspect was Carnell’s ex-girlfriend Alyssa, who was known to have owned a gun. Alyssa claimed she and Carnell dated for six months and broke up. They then remained in touch as friends and frequently met each other. Her alibi was checked by the police to see if she was around the park on the evening of the murder. Alyssa, like a diligent citizen, surrendered her gun, and the police could not find any leads that would point towards her being the murderer. Kate, however, as her sisters stated, was in an abusive relationship a year and a half before she was killed. The man was known to have controlled her life during the course of their relationship and wouldn’t tolerate her saying no. They broke up, but some form of trauma bonding had happened, which made Kate go back to him often. The police did not reveal the name of her ex-boyfriend, but their investigation pointed to the fact that he spent the night with Kate the day before her murder. His alibi on the day of the murder was strong, which again led the police to a dead end. The police assumed the death could be a hate crime as there were many racist groups in town who might seek not to let an African American man mingle with a white woman. There was also a theory that people connected to some criminal syndicate may have committed the murder, but the lack of evidence did not help the police.
Who killed Kate Brown and Carnell Sledge?
The case was soon going cold as the police and the FBI were clueless and unable to find out who the murderer could be. Kate’s sister Lauren stated that she had gone on a date through the dating app Tinder. The man she met had made her feel uncomfortable, which made her leave the date halfway. Kate had also mentioned that the man she met had committed a murder many years ago, which she found out through her research. His alibi also claimed he was in Ohio, and the police had to close the case. The family members went out to the public and agreed to give USD 100,000 as prize money for anyone that could provide any detail that could help the police crack the case. This was a desperate attempt by the families, who remained hopeful that the murderer would be caught and they would finally get justice and closure.
The police and the authorities at Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation were not happy with the families of Kate and Carnell putting out signs around the park so that the people remembered the incident that shook up the town. Kate and Carnell’s family till date were dejected as there is no input, detail, or leads that have them connected to the murders of the two people they genuinely loved and cared for. It remains a cold case till now.
