Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown: The 2019 Metroparks Double Homicide

The Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown murders remain unsolved. On the afternoon of June 4, 2019, the two friends were shot in the back of the head while sitting on a park bench in the Rocky River Reservation in Fairview Park, Ohio. More than six years later, no one has been arrested, no suspect has been publicly named, and no motive has been established. A reward of up to $100,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.¹

What Happened on June 4, 2019

Around 5:00 p.m. that day, Sledge, 40, and Brown, 33, met at a pull-off lot north of the Lorain Road bridge in the Rocky River Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. They sat together on a bench along the river. Both were shot in the head and killed.¹ Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson determined the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds to the head.² Shell casings were recovered at the scene. The murder weapon has never been found.³

Sledge had gone to the park directly from work. His grandmother was texting him that evening to ask if he was on his way to dinner, telling him the food was getting cold.⁴ According to his mother, Darlene Sledge, Brown had sent Carnell an urgent text asking to meet, which drew him to the park before the family dinner.⁵

The killings took place in daylight in a heavily used park, yet no witnesses have come forward with useful information. A roofer sitting in his truck nearby, with a clear line of sight to the victims, told investigators he saw and heard nothing.³ Authorities have described the double homicide as an isolated incident.⁶

Who Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown Were

Carnell Edward Sledge was born on April 3, 1979, and grew up in Bedford, Ohio. At the time of his death he worked as an audio visual technician at Crescent Digital in Cleveland. Before that, he spent years working with young people: he served as a special education specialist in the Westlake School District from 2013 to 2018, volunteered at Applewood Centers, and coached basketball through Empower Sports.⁷ His grandmother, Audrey Posey, said of him: “He was kind, he didn’t bother no one, he was a helping person, he helped people.”⁸ A foundation, Sledge’s Helping Hands, was created in his memory.⁹

Katherine Colby Brown was born on October 12, 1985, and grew up in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. She graduated from Olmsted Falls High School in 2004, attended Bowling Green State University and Cleveland State University, and worked at a local jewelry company for seven years.¹⁰ Her father, Tom Brown, said Kate had been two years sober at the time of her death and had lost more than 100 pounds. “She was at the top of her game. She was enjoying life.”¹¹

Cleveland Metroparks Police Detective Lt. Don Sylvis said the two victims “had no known enemies, no recent feuds, no significant assets, no criminal histories.”¹²

Where the Investigation Stands

The Cleveland Metroparks Police Department has led the case since the night of the killings, with the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office as a partner agency. Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County has also assisted in collecting anonymous tips.¹³ No suspect has ever been publicly identified and no charges have been filed.

As of mid-2025, Metroparks Police Chief Kelly Stillman said his department had gathered “just about every bit of evidence that we could have collected from that scene” and was focused on trace DNA recovered at the site. He acknowledged the limits of that evidence, noting that trace DNA “could be anything,” and said material had been submitted for comparison but that “nothing’s come back in our favor yet.”³ Stillman told Fox 8: “To this day, we haven’t given up and we will not give up.”¹⁴

In the months after the killings, an anonymous letter about the case was sent to Fox 8 and turned over to the FBI. The author never came forward.⁶

The Bryan Hurt Lead and Why It Was Ruled Out

In May 2025, investigators looked at a possible link between the 2019 murders and Bryan Hurt, a 66-year-old man who committed a murder-suicide in the same area of the Metroparks. Hurt shot and killed his 68-year-old neighbor, Thomas Overall, outside Overall’s home on Munn Road in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, then drove to the Groth Memorial and Scenic Overlook in the Rocky River Reservation, less than two miles from the 2019 crime scene, and killed himself.¹⁵

The proximity drew attention. Darlene Sledge said police told her Hurt’s choice of location was “worth checking into” and viewed it as more than a coincidence.⁵ Cleveland Police had been called to Hurt’s residence 71 times between 2016 and 2025, and neighbors reported him making threats involving a gun.

Ballistics testing later confirmed the weapon Hurt used in the 2025 murder-suicide was not the same weapon used in the 2019 park bench killings.³ Metroparks Police ruled Hurt out as a suspect, stating there was “no evidence to support that he was involved in this case” and that “there is no connection.”¹⁶

The Reward and How to Submit a Tip

A reward of up to $100,000 is available for information leading to the identification and prosecution of the person or persons responsible. It is made up of $25,000 from the FBI, $5,000 from Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County, and $70,000 raised by Kate Brown’s family.¹³ At a February 2020 press conference, Tom Brown said: “We hope that this reward of $100,000 will give someone the courage and encourage them to come forward with that key piece of information.”¹⁷

Anyone with information can contact any of the following. Callers may remain anonymous.

Cleveland Metroparks Police tip line: 440-331-5219
FBI Cleveland Field Office: 216-622-6842
Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County: 216-252-7463
Online: tips.fbi.gov

Darlene Sledge has said she believes information is still out there. “There’s more to it. I don’t know what it is, but there’s more to this. And it’s gonna come out.”⁴

1
FBI. Seeking Information: Carnell E. Sledge and Katherine C. Brown
2
Cleveland.com. Homicide Victim Carnell Sledge Seemed Fine Hours Before He Died, Co-Workers Say
3
Cleveland 19 News. Trace DNA Found at Metroparks Double Murder Scene Could Lead to Suspect
4
Fox 8. New Video Clues Revealed in Cleveland Metroparks Murder Mystery Nearly Two Years Later
5
Cleveland 19 News. Possible Connection Between 5-Year-Old Double Murder, West Park Murder-Suicide in Metroparks
6
Today.com. Unsolved Mysteries Park Bench Murders True Story
7
Calhoun Funeral Home. Carnell Edward Sledge Obituary
8
Cleveland 19 News. Five Years Later, Family Remains Hopeful for Justice in Metroparks Double Murder
9
Sledge’s Helping Hands. Sledge’s Helping Hands Foundation
10
Cleveland.com Obituaries. Katherine Brown Obituary
11
News 5 Cleveland. $100K Reward: Kate Brown’s Family Makes Plea for Justice
12
Cleveland 19 News. Murder in the Metroparks: New Dark Side Podcast Goes Inside Unsolved Fairview Park Killings
13
FBI. FBI Seeking Information About a Double Homicide in the Rocky River Reservation
14
Fox 8. New Approach to Metroparks Cold Case Murders
15
WKYC. Cleveland Metroparks Murders: Police Investigate Possible Link 6 Years Later
16
Fox 8. Possible Suspect Ruled Out for Now in Metroparks Double Homicide
17
IdeastreamPublicMedia. Reward Increases to $100,000 for Information in Metroparks Double Murder