Ohio

Hundreds of homicides in Ohio remain unsolved; AG focuses on these cold cases

Published

12 months ago

January 1, 2025

Hundreds of homicides in Ohio remain unsolved; AG focuses on these cold cases

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -The mystery of who killed Debra Miller more than 40 years ago in Mansfield has now been solved thanks to old-fashioned police work and DNA technology.

The announcement from police Monday was a reminder there are still hundreds of other unsolved cases across Ohio.

19 Investigates spoke to the attorney general on what cold cases the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is working on.

Case closed

Mansfield Police say they now know the identity of Debra Miller’s killer, the man who brutally beat the 18-year-old to death in her apartment back in 1981 and evaded police for decades.

DNA evidence led detectives to Debra’s neighbor, James Vanest, 68 years old.

He died in standoff with police last month.

You can read more about how police solved the case here.

Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann celebrated the big case solve.

But he’s already focusing on the next unsolved cases he has in his department.

“I would love to close every case, I would love to give every family the closure that they so deserve, but you know we take it one case at a time,” he said.

Mansfield police solve cold case homicide from 1981(Source: Mansfield police)

Hundreds of unsolved cases

19 Investigates got a copy of the Ohio Attorney General’s cold case database, which shows there are more than 2,000 unsolved homicides across the state.

“Even one unsolved murder case is a problem, it’s a tragedy. The people who loved that person don’t know what happened or how it happened or why it happened,” Attorney General Dave Yost said.

Attorney General Yost said it’s a fact some of these cases will never be solved, because they’re so old and the killers have passed away.

He said BCI’s Cold Case Unit is focusing on supporting local law enforcement in cases that happened over the last 40 years.

“We’ve got still an opportunity to get to a place of justice for those cases, not that the older cases don’t matter, but the ones I’m really excited about are the cases where new science can turn up a new lead. Where DNA advances will maybe able to bring information out of the old evidence that was collected in 1985 or something and lead us to the perpetrator,” he said.

Just one new lead could be enough to bring the families of these victims answers.

If you know anything about a cold case out there, give police a call.

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Ohio

Multiple homes destroyed by fire in Meigs County, Ohio

Published

4 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Multiple homes destroyed by fire in Meigs County, Ohio

POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A fire destroyed one home and damaged two others Wednesday evening, but then rekindled early Thursday morning and destroyed another home, police said.

The fire was first reported just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the 300 block of Wetzgall Street in Pomeroy, according to a press release from the Pomeroy Police Department.

According to police, the fire spread to the two homes on either side of the original home on fire. Firefighters contained the fire and saved the two surrounding homes, but the home that first caught fire was deemed a total loss.

Then, just after 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, the fire rekindled and spread to one of the other homes, resulting in a total loss of that home as well, police said.

Pomeroy police said both homes were occupied at the time of the fires, but all occupants of each home were able to exit their homes safely. Police also said that there were no reported injuries, though both families lost everything they owned due to the total losses of the homes.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the incident is still under active investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to police.

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Ohio

DOE aims to end Biden student loan repayment plan. What it means for Ohio

Published

16 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

DOE aims to end Biden student loan repayment plan. What it means for Ohio

The Department of Education has agreed to a settlement to end the Biden-era SAVE student loan repayment plan.
Over seven million borrowers currently on the SAVE plan will need to select a new repayment program if the court approves the settlement.
Ohio has about 1.7 million student loan borrowers and over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt in the state is approximately $35,072.

Student loan borrowers under the Biden-era student loan repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), may soon have to select a new repayment plan after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to a measure to permanently end the program.

A proposed joint settlement agreement announced Tuesday between the DOE and the State of Missouri seeks to end what officials call the “illegal” SAVE program, impacting more than seven million SAVE borrowers who would have to enroll in another program. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented.

Ohio borrowers carry some of the nation’s highest student loan debt. Here’s how the proposed change could affect them.

What is the SAVE plan?

Originally known as REPAYE, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was created to deliver the lowest monthly payments among income-driven repayment programs. Under the Biden administration, it became the most affordable option for borrowers.

According to USA TODAY, the SAVE plan was part of Biden’s push to deliver nearly $200 billion in student loan relief to more than 5 million Americans. It wiped out $5.5 billion in debt for nearly half a million borrowers and cut many monthly payments down to $0.

But officials in President Donald Trump’s administration claim the Biden plan was illegal.

Why does the Department of Education want to end the SAVE plan?

The DOE says the SAVE plan aimed to provide mass forgiveness without congressional approval, costing taxpayers $342 billion over 10 years. In a press release, the Department said the administration promised unrealistically low payments and quick forgiveness without legal authority.

“The Trump administration is righting this wrong and bringing an end to this deceptive scheme,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a release. “Thanks to the State of Missouri and other states fighting against this egregious federal overreach, American taxpayers can now rest assured they will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for illegal and irresponsible student loan policies.”

If the agreement is approved by the court, no new borrowers will be able to enroll in the SAVE plan. The agency says it will deny any pending applications and move all SAVE borrowers back into other repayment plans.

Borrowers currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan would have a limited time to select a new repayment plan and begin repaying their student loans.

The DOE adds that it is working on the loan repayment provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which created a new Income-Driven Repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), that will be available to borrowers by July 1, 2026.

How many people in Ohio have student loan debt?

Numbers from the Education Data Initiative show that there are about 1.7 million student loan borrowers in Ohio, carrying over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt is approximately $35,072.

Ohio also ranks No. 10 among the states with the most student debt, according to personal finance site WalletHub.

How much money does Ohio get from the Department of Education?

The DOE budget for Ohio for fiscal year 2025 is estimated to be more than $5.65 billion, The Columbus Dispatch previously reported.

President Trump announced his intentions to eliminate the Department of Education earlier this year, meaning that Ohio could lose more than $5 billion in annual funding.

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Ohio

Papa Johns employee in Ohio accused of shooting, killing man inside store

Published

1 day ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

Papa Johns employee in Ohio accused of shooting, killing man inside store

Updated on: December 10, 2025 / 7:32 PM EST
/ CBS Pittsburgh

An employee of a Papa Johns restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio, is accused of shooting and killing a man inside the store on Tuesday night.

Police in Cincinnati said Murphy Tilk, 21, fatally shot 23-year-old Nawaf Althawadi inside the West Price Hill restaurant around 11 p.m., CBS affiliate WKRC reported. When first responders arrived at the restaurant on West Eighth Street, they performed life-saving measures on Althawadi, who died at the scene. Officials said the 21-year-old Tilk, who was taken into custody without incident and charged, is a Papa Johns employee, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Tilk booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center on a first-degree murder charge, the center’s records show. During Tilk’s initial court appearance on Wednesday, he was held without bond. The 21-year-old man has a bond hearing set for Saturday.

Law enforcement has not said what led up to the shooting or if Tilk and Althawadi knew each other. Police are investigating the shooting.

KDKA reached out to Papa Johns on Wednesday evening for comment, but has not heard back.

Papa Johns is a pizza chain with 6,000 locations globally, according to its website. It has 15 locations in Cincinnati.