The new Dark Side podcast looks at unsolved murders in Fairview Park

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Five years have passed and a murderer is still at large. A murder mystery in the Cleveland Metroparks remains unsolved.

“Everyone who ever hears the story says it doesn’t make sense that no one saw anything,” said Darlene Sledge, Carnell Sledge’s mother.

Two friends, 40-year-old Carnell Sledge and 33-year-old Kate Brown, were shot and killed on June 4, 2019.

They were sitting outdoors on a bench on the Rocky River Reservation in broad daylight at 5 p.m.

Yet there is no suspect, no witness, no weapon and apparently no motive for their murders.

“They had no known enemies, no recent feuds, no significant assets, no criminal histories,” Lt. Don Sylvis, Cleveland Metroparks Police Detective.

The mystery surrounding Kate and Carnell's murder is the focus of the latest episode of 19 Investigates' true crime podcast “Dark Side of the Land.”

A Cleveland Metroparks Police investigator and an FBI special agent walk us through the evidence in the case, the people of interest and the latest developments in their investigation.

Video and audio recordings of the first officers who arrived at the scene on the evening of the murder provide insight into the initial course of the investigation.

The families of Kate Brown and Carnell Sledge discuss their theories about what may have happened. They also share fond memories of Kate and Nell, as he was affectionately known, and the pain of being robbed of so many more memories.

Investigators and families are asking the public for help. They believe someone out there has information that could solve this murder.

There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

You may contact the FBI Cleveland Field Office anonymously at 216-622-6842, the Cleveland Metroparks Police Department at 440-331-5219 or Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County at 216-252-7463. Tips can also be sent to Tips.fbi.gov.

Murder in the Metroparks is available on all major podcast platforms including SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Be sure to subscribe to Dark Side of the Land to hear the latest episodes of season five, as well as previous podcast episodes.

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