On a warm summer evening in rural Brown County, Ohio, David Dodson was looking forward to celebrating his forty-ninth birthday with his family. His daughter, Brittany Stykes, was supposed to be joining them, bringing along her little girl, Aubree. It was August 28th, 2013, and Brittany was running late. Her parents, David and Mary Dodson, … More Brittany Stykes
On May 9th, 2013, sixty-six-year-old Dawn Glanz was found dead on the bathroom floor of her home in Bowling Green, Ohio. There was blood around her head, but nothing else immediately suggested that a crime had occurred. There were no signs of forced entry, nothing appeared to have been stolen, and the circumstances seemed consistent … More Dawn Glanz
Twenty-year-old Jazmine Trotter lived in Cleveland, Ohio, and was described by friends and family as independent, strong-willed, and affectionate. She had an identical twin sister, Yazmine, with whom she shared an especially close relationship. Jazmine was also raising a four-year-old boy named Juelz. Despite her young age, she was working and trying to build a … More Jazmine Trotter
Nineteen-year-old Moses Williams Jr., affectionately known as “Fat Man,” was born into an extended family with deep connections to Aiken, South Carolina and the surrounding communities. His parents were Timica James and Moses Williams Sr., and he grew up surrounded by siblings, grandparents, and other relatives. He attended Aiken High School, where he played football … More Moses Williams Jr.
Twenty-seven-year-old Demetres Hyman, affectionately known as “Meatball,” grew up in Jacksonville, Florida as the youngest child in his family. His sisters were considerably older and had already moved out of the family home during much of his childhood, but the siblings nevertheless developed close relationships. His mother, Gwendolyn Hyman, remembered her son as someone who … More Demetres Hyman
Tyler Anderson was born on February 22nd, 1995. He lived in the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron, Ohio with his mother, Terri Hastings, during the school year and spent summers in Florida with his father, Kenneth Anderson Jr. His parents had divorced when Tyler was young, and he also had two considerably older half-brothers. His mother … More Tyler Anderson
Twenty-eight-year-old Travis Smith was a native of Aiken County, South Carolina who had attended North Augusta High School and was a member of Laura Grove Baptist Church. He lived on Bradley Court in North Augusta and was the father of a daughter, Taniya. Friends and relatives would later describe Travis as easygoing, kind, devoted to … More Travis Smith
Bryan Sanchez was born on April 29th, 1991, to Bertha Torres and Gustavo Sanchez. Raised in the Atwater area of California’s Central Valley, he attended Shaffer Elementary School, Mitchell Senior Elementary and Buhach Colony High School. Bryan was the youngest of six children. By 2012, he lived primarily with his sister, Patty Flores, and her … More Bryan Sanchez
Forty-four-year-old businessman Pareshkumar D. “Paresh” Patel was born in India and came to the United States in 1991, joining his wife in the Richmond, Virginia area. Indian news reports identified his hometown as Amod, in the Petlad area of Gujarat’s Anand district. By 2012, he had spent roughly two decades establishing a life in central … More Pareshkumar D. “Paresh” Patel
On the night of March 15th, 2012, forty-three-year-old Mario Imbesi left a family gathering in Port Chester, New York, and began the drive back to his apartment in Danbury, Connecticut. He had been celebrating his mother’s birthday and reportedly left sometime around ten fifteen or ten thirty p.m., telling his family that he needed to … More Mario Imbesi
