Parents who've lost children to homicide are looking for ways to help Cincinnati police solve more killings, a task that officers say is increasingly difficult because of the strong and growing link between the deaths and drugs.

At a meeting of Endless Mothers' Pain for Today's Youth, Todd Johnson speaks about a cousin, Kevin Johnson, who was 22 when he was shot to death. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

        Cincinnati homicide investigators have made arrests in 16 of their 46 cases this year, for about a 35 percent solve rate so far, said Capt. Vince Demasi, commander of the Criminal Investigations Section. Arrests are pending in another five or six, he said.

        He welcomes the parents' help, but said most people have no idea how complicated it is to compile the inches-thick binders of information necessary for every case or how difficult it is to overcome the increasing lack of cooperation detectives encounter from witnesses.

        An example: About 20 people were inside the King of Clubs bar in Walnut Hills on April 15 when a man walked in and put a gun to the back of LaBrian Westmoreland's head as he sat on a bar stool. The man pulled the trigger, killing Mr. Westmoreland in front of the other patrons — none of whom would admit to seeing much of anything.

        “The last several years have been very trying,” Capt Demasi said. “Quite frankly, the people who are key witnesses don't see anything, they don't know anything.”

        The parents hope to help in some way.

        Pat Carson started the group EMPTY, Endless Mothers Pain for Today's Youth, several years ago after her 18-year-old son was killed. Now she wants to draw together two newer groups, Who Killed Our Kids?, and Serving Our Children of Cincinnati. She organized a meeting Wednesday night of the three groups.

        “Rather than all of us working in different groups, we're coming together for the same cause,” Ms. Carson said. “No one has really come out and said, "As a united group, let's do something about these deaths.”'

Pat Carson

        She'd like to start by compiling a list of all the homicide victims over the past decade or so, with the investigating detective's names attached to each one so citizens can pass along any tips about the case. She said many families lose touch with investigators over time.

        Lucy Logan, whose son Nolan Moi was found shot to death in his Madisonville apartment March 11, has some ideas, too.

        Among them: Raise money to beef up Crime Stoppers' rewards, now at $1,000 maximum; volunteer to answer phones for the tip line; a vigil on Fountain Square and possibly making posters with victims' faces.

        “So many of the murders are drug-related, they're drive-bys,” Ms. Logan said. “They're difficult.”

        The FBI's Uniform Crime Report lists the national homicide closure rate for 2000 as just over 63 percent, but that can include cases in which detectives have simply identified but not arrested a perpetrator. Overall, the national solved-crime rate is 20 percent and the homicide closure rate is the highest for any one crime.

        Cincinnati's arrest rate for 2001 cases is just over 60 percent: 35 arrests in 58 killings.

        Capt. Demasi also said cases can take months, even years. Example: The case of Roberto Villa Valadez, of San Antonio, found burned Nov. 4, 2000, in a Dumpster in Walnut Hills. Detectives first had to restore his burned fingertips to identify him. That took four months.

        Three men were indicted in August. Investigators think Mr. Valadez was a drug courier, Capt. Demasi said.

        “Our ability to solve murders is directly related to our ability to get statements from witnesses,” he said. “People don't want to talk to the police.”

        Even beefed-up Crime Stoppers rewards available in some cases haven't helped generate good leads, he said.

        Still, the parents want to do something.

        Ms. Logan's group, Who Killed Our Kids?, spent several months this summer walking through neighborhoods passing out cards with victims' pictures.

        “We said, "Stick them in your wallet, put them on your dresser,”' she said. “But don't throw them away. You never know when you might think of something.”

        E-mail jprendergast@enquirer.com

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