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REVISITED: The Friends

Park Predators

30m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

This episode revisits the unsolved June 2019 double murder of forty-year-old Cornell Sledge and thirty-three-year-old Catherine "Kate" Brown in northeast Ohio's Rocky River Reservation. The host details how the two friends were found shot to death in broad daylight near a park bench in a heavily trafficked area, prompting a joint investigation by local park police and the FBI. Despite a timeline placing the murders within a tight ten-minute window and numerous public pleas, rewards totaling one hundred thousand dollars, and community vigils, the case remains unsolved. The narrative explores friction between grieving families and authorities over communication breakdowns, the removal of reward signs by park personnel, and unverified tips, including an anonymous letter and a clairvoyant claim.

  • Authorities narrowed the murder window down to between 5:08 PM and 5:15 PM on June 4, 2019. 14:02
  • The FBI joined the local investigation due to the brazen and public nature of the double homicide. 10:04
  • Cornell Sledge's family established a foundation called Sledges Helping Hands to support at-risk children. 32:05

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Episode Introduction and Podcast Overview

    Delia welcomes listeners and explains the new weekly crime episode format.

  2. 1:15
    Introducing the Rocky River Reservation Double Murder

    Delia sets the scene for the 2019 murders of Cornell Sledge and Catherine Kate Brown.

  3. 3:26
    Crime Scene Details and Initial Investigation

    Description of the bodies, evidence, and early police response at the park.

  4. 7:03
    Law Enforcement Response and Public Statements

    Officials release information, hold press conferences, and reassure park safety.

  5. 7:35
    Community Reaction and Speculation

    Local residents express fear and question motives while rumors circulate.

  6. 13:36
    FBI Involvement and Investigation Timeline

    Federal agents join the case, narrow the time window, and seek public help.

  7. 17:12
    Additional Violent Incidents in 2019

    Other shootings in the park are examined but ultimately deemed unrelated.

  8. 21:20
    Family Efforts and Reward Increases

    Victim families raise the reward and push for more investigative resources.

  9. 26:47
    Ongoing Investigation Challenges and Public Outreach

    Investigators face stalled leads, remove memorial signs, and struggle to keep public interest.

  10. 33:34
    Current Status and Call for Tips

    The episode ends with a plea for information and contact details for tips.

Highlights

Quotes

  • “The case takes place in Rocky River Reservation, which technically has acreage in several townships of northeast Ohio.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:38
  • “The FBI's special agent in charge, a guy named Eric Smith, told the press, "We have no reason to believe it was random, but we do not know if it was targeted. Someone did this in a very brazen way, a very specific way."”
    Unnamed speaker · 10:28
  • “In the announcement, the agencies disclosed that detectives had narrowed down the window of time they believed the murders happened in.”
    Unnamed speaker · 13:36
  • “The letter writer alleged that a woman had murdered the couple after verbally getting into it with Cornell at the park bench.”
    Unnamed speaker · 30:25
  • Simplisafe 23:39–24:14
  • iXL 24:14–25:19

About this episode

When two friends sitting on a bench in an Ohio park are gunned down in cold blood, the investigators responsible for solving they murders are left dumbfounded. Few clues lead to concrete answers and more questions surround this 2019 crime than ever before.

Transcript

0:00
30:14

5,719 words · 6 speakers

Topics

  • News 5 Cleveland
  • Cleveland Metro Parks Police
  • Rocky River Reservation
  • Fox 8 News
  • Valley Parkway
  • Cleveland Metro Parks Police Department
  • Cleveland.com
  • ClevelandMetroParks.com
  • Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office
  • Cleveland Metro Parks Detective Bureau

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated