By William A. Weathers
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A 21-year-old man killed in Over-the-Rhine Tuesday night is the city's 65th homicide victim in 2002 - a 15-year high for slayings in the Queen City.

Officers responded to report of person shot at W. Liberty and Vine street about 9:05 p.m. and found Gregory A. Beauchamp (no address available), who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Wanted in connection with the offense, police said, are the occupants of dark-blue, 4-door, mid-90s Cadillac with tinted windows and Ohio license plates. The molding was missing from the front passenger door.

The occupants of the Cadillac are described as four or five male blacks between 19 and 20 years old. The front-seat passenger was described as dark skinned wearing a do-rag. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Department's criminal investigations section at 352-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040.

The 65 homicides in 2002 is the most in the city since 1987, when hospital orderly Donald Harvey's 27 victims boosted the total to 66. There were 63 homicides in 2001. That total was surpassed Sunday in a murder-suicide in Avondale.

The 2001 total of 63 homicides includes five individuals killed by police. There were no fatal police shootings in 2002.