The Rocky River Reservation murders: two friends shot on a park bench in daylight, and a $100,000 reward no one has claimed.
On June 4, 2019, longtime friends Kate Brown, 33, and Carnell Sledge, 40, met at a lot north of the Lorain Road bridge in the Rocky River Reservation in Fairview Park, Ohio, and sat on a bench by the river. They were shot in the head between about 5:08 and 5:15 p.m. Two kayakers found them. No one has been charged.
Case file at a glance
The shooting was in daylight in a busy Cleveland Metroparks reservation. The FBI said it had no reason to believe it was random, though it did not know whether the pair were targeted. The reward is now $100,000. In 2025 police said they were looking at whether a man who died in an unrelated crime was connected.
- A daylight shooting.They arrived about 5:04 p.m. and sat on a bench. They were shot between about 5:08 and 5:15 p.m.
- Kayakers found them.Two kayakers arrived about 5:18 p.m. and called 911. Police found the bodies about 5:30 p.m.
- No motive stated.The FBI said it had no reason to believe it was random but did not know whether they were targeted.
- A new lead in 2025.Metroparks police said they were checking whether a man who died in a murder-suicide weeks earlier was connected. No arrest.
Editorial assessment of public sources, not a finding of fact. Nobody named here has been charged unless this page says so.
What happened
Details come from the FBI's page, News 5 Cleveland, and a Fox 8 report of May 30, 2025.
The meeting
Kate Brown of Fairview Park and Carnell Sledge of North Olmsted, friends for more than ten years and not romantically involved, arrive in separate cars at a pull-off lot north of the Lorain Road bridge.
The shooting
They sit on a bench by the river and are shot in the head. Sledge is found in the grass and Brown in the water, off Valley Parkway.
Discovery
Two kayakers see the victims and call 911. Police find the bodies about 5:30 p.m.
Rewards grow
The FBI raises its reward from $20,000 to $25,000. Crime Stoppers adds up to $5,000. The family adds up to $70,000, bringing the combined total to $100,000.
A possible link
Fox 8 reports Metroparks police are investigating whether a man who died by suicide after shooting his neighbor in an unrelated case weeks earlier has any connection. The chief says there were similarities that warranted an in-depth look. No arrest.
Hundreds of tips
A search summary says an FBI agent said police have received hundreds of tips and the reward is still $100,000. -Maybe
Victims
Two friends who had known each other for more than a decade.
Photo: FBI Seeking Information page. The photo's original owner is not stated; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
DiedKate Brown, 33
Katherine C. Brown of Fairview Park. Her family added up to $70,000 to the reward.
Photo: FBI Seeking Information page. The photo's original owner is not stated; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
DiedCarnell Sledge, 40
Carnell E. Sledge of North Olmsted.
We found no freely licensed photo, so a silhouette is shown. Family members or others who want a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Evidence
What exists, and what each piece may or may not mean.
| Item | What is known | Disputed or unknown |
|---|---|---|
| The shootings | Both were shot in the head on a bench by the river. | Caliber and number of shots: not public. |
| The timeline | Arrived 5:04 p.m.; shot 5:08 to 5:15 p.m.; found 5:18 to 5:30 p.m. | Where the shooter went: not public. |
| Witnesses | Two kayakers found the scene. | Whether anyone saw the shooter: not public. |
| Motive | Not stated. The FBI said it had no reason to believe it was random. | Whether either victim was targeted: unknown. |
| The 2025 lead | A man who died in an unrelated case is under review. | The reasons and any evidence: not public. |
Public documents
The FBI page and news reports are the public record.
| Document | Holder | What it shows | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI: Sledge and Brown | FBI | Reward, circumstances, tip lines. | Online, free |
| News 5: reward increase | News 5 Cleveland | Times and rewards. | Online, free |
| Case file | Cleveland Metroparks Police; FBI | The investigation. | Withheld or sealed |
Access labels: Online, free = we could open it. Fan-hosted copy = a private researcher posted scans; originals are held by the named agency, and we cannot vouch for completeness. Quoted in news = reporters read it; we did not see the document itself. Request needed = held by an agency or court. Withheld = the holder has not released it. We cannot reach non-public records, and we do not try to.
Online discussion (unverified)
Where people talk about this case online, and how to read it.
| Platform | Live search | What you tend to find |
|---|---|---|
| Google: Reddit | site:reddit.com search | Public Reddit threads that Google has indexed, including old discussions. |
| Google: X and Twitter | X and Twitter posts | Public posts and profiles that appear in search results. |
| Google: Facebook | Public Facebook pages and posts | Only public pages and groups that Google can see. Private groups never appear. |
| Google: Instagram and TikTok | Instagram and TikTok | Public posts, memorials, and videos. |
| Google: forums | Forums and message boards | Long-running true-crime forums. |
| Google News | Latest news | Newest reporting, which is usually more reliable than posts. |
| Search Reddit | Long discussion threads and theories, often by amateur researchers. No sign-in needed to read. | |
| X (Twitter) | Search X | Short posts, news links, and anniversary notes. May require sign-in. |
| Search Facebook | Public groups and family or community pages. Requires sign-in. | |
| Search #rockyriverreservation | Memorial and true-crime posts. Requires sign-in. | |
| YouTube | Search YouTube | Documentaries, news clips, and interviews. Quality varies widely. |
Be careful with online theories. Naming a private person as a suspect can harm an innocent family, and many "identifications" on forums have been wrong. Our own tools could not read these platforms: Reddit blocks automated access, and the others require an account. The Google searches above work from your browser. To get new public mentions by email, make a free Google Alert for the case name in quotation marks.
Coverage timeline and verification
What local and national reports say, and when we last checked for a solution.
| Date | Outlet | What it reported | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |||
| FBI | |||
| Reward up to $25,000; more may be available. | |||
| Read | |||
| Undated | |||
| News 5 Cleveland | |||
| Timeline and reward increase. | |||
| Read | |||
| May 30, 2025 | |||
| Fox 8 / Yahoo | |||
| Police check a possible link to a man who died. | |||
| Read |
Status is re-checked on a regular schedule. If you know of a development we missed, use the clue form near the top of this page or the contact form, and include a link.
Suspects
There is no publicly named suspect. Police are reviewing a man who has died.
A man who died in 2025
Why named: Metroparks police said there were similarities that warranted an in-depth look.
Against: No connection has been confirmed. He cannot be charged.
The shooter
Why named: Someone shot two people on a bench in daylight.
Against: No description is public.
Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Latest lead: the 2025 review of a man who has died
The one new public thread is whether a man who died in 2025 is connected.
What is known
- Police said in May 2025 they were checking a possible connection and gave no timeline.
- The FBI says it has no reason to believe the shooting was random.
- The combined reward is up to $100,000.
What would settle it
- Compare ballistics from the 2019 shooting with any weapon tied to the 2025 case.
- Check his whereabouts on June 4, 2019.
- Release any camera or phone data from the reservation that afternoon.
A targeted shooting by someone who knew they would be there
We put the chance that the shooter targeted at least one victim at roughly 70%. We put the chance of a public finding within a year at roughly 20%, because police are actively checking the 2025 lead.
Editorial judgment, not statistics.
Elimination matrix
"—" means no public information, not a clean result.
| Person or idea | At the scene | Physical link | Legal outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man who died in 2025 (unnamed) | ? under review | — none published | — cannot be charged |
| Random park shooter | ? FBI doubts | — | — |
| Someone targeting a victim | ? possible | — | — |
✗ excluded or contradicted · ✓ supports · ? disputed · — nothing public. No cell is an official finding.
Our hypothesis
Editorial reading of public records. A working theory, not a finding, and it names no individual.
A deliberate shooting in a public park
- It was fast. A few minutes after they sat down.
- It was in daylight. In a well-used park.
- Both were shot in the head. At close range.
- The reward is large. $100,000.
Judgment, not statistics.
Missing links
Questions raised by gaps in the public record.
1. The weapon
Caliber and any link to other cases.
2. The shooter's route
How he arrived and left the lot.
3. The 2025 lead
What the similarities are.
4. Camera and phone data
Any footage or tower data.
5. Their plans
Why they met there on that day.
6. The hundreds of tips
What the FBI has ruled out.
Evidence gaps
"Not public" means we could not find a report.
| Item | Tested | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Ballistics | Collected. | Results: not public. |
| Tip files | Hundreds received. | Not public. |
| Metroparks case file | Held by Metroparks police and the FBI. | Public index: not available. |
Forensic tech
| Tool | What it could do | Status here |
|---|---|---|
| DNA from retained evidence | Identify a donor or exclude people. | Unknown; not reported |
| Forensic genetic genealogy | Identify an unknown donor from relatives. | Needs usable DNA; none reported |
| Ballistics database (NIBIN) | Link recovered casings or bullets to other crimes. | Not reported |
Solved cases
Local cases that moved after decades.
Carol Sue Klaber (Boone County, KY, 1976)
Investigators say a private genealogy investigation helped them identify Thomas Dunaway, who died in 1990, as the man who killed the 16-year-old. He cannot be indicted, so prosecutors sent a letter saying he would have been charged. The lesson: genealogy can name a killer after decades, even when no trial is possible.
Forensic genetic genealogy training
In 2024, local investigators were being trained in the technique, which has already helped solve Cincinnati-area cases, according to FOX19. The lesson: the tool is now local, so cases with usable DNA have a real path forward.
Golden State Killer
Old crime-scene DNA matched relatives in a public database and led to a 2018 arrest. The lesson: a usable sample can still work after decades.
Case details come from public news coverage and the Boone County Sheriff's cold-case list. Confirm in court records.
False leads
| Claim | Source and date | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| A romantic link between the victims | Early speculation | Reports say they were friends, not romantic partners. |
| The 2025 lead solves it | Headlines | No connection has been confirmed. |
Where
The shooting happened at a pull-off lot north of the Lorain Road bridge in the Rocky River Reservation, Fairview Park.
Open in maps: Rocky River Reservation, Fairview Park. We show no photograph of the scene.
Source ratings
| Source | Type | Rating | Use with care because |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI Seeking Information page | Federal agency | A | Reward, circumstances, tip lines; photos. |
| News 5 Cleveland | Local news | B+ | Timeline and rewards; the copy was undated. |
| Fox 8, May 30, 2025 | Local news | B+ | The 2025 lead. |
| Ideastream, WKYC | News | B | Seen in search results; not opened. |
Records
Cleveland Metroparks Police Department
Lead agency. 440-331-5219 (FBI page).
FBI Cleveland Field Office
216-622-6842 (FBI page).
Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County
216-252-7463 (FBI page).
Sample public-records request
Under the Ohio Public Records Act, I request copies of non-exempt records relating to the June 4, 2019 homicides of Katherine Brown and Carnell Sledge in the Rocky River Reservation, including incident reports, laboratory reports, and any evidence inventory. Please send electronic copies. If any part is withheld, please identify the exemption relied on and release all reasonably segregable material.
Agencies often withhold records of open investigations, so expect partial answers.
Remembering the victims
Kate was 33 and Carnell was 40. Their families have appealed publicly.
News & databases
In the news
Loading headlines…
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Where they disagree, we say so above.
- Carnell E. Sledge and Katherine C. Brown, FBI Seeking Information (reward, circumstances, tip lines; photos).
- FBI increases reward for information related to Rocky River Reservation murders, News 5 Cleveland (times, rewards).
- New development in unsolved Cleveland Metroparks double murder, Fox 8 / Yahoo, May 30, 2025 (the possible link).
The $100,000 combined reward and the May 2026 "hundreds of tips" report come from search summaries. The man under review is unnamed and has died; no finding has been announced. We found no arrest.
Change log
- Oct 8, 2026: File published.