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Dog finds murder victim on East Side
The victim was found dead in a ditch on the city’s East Side.
YOUNGS-TOWN — A dog discovered the body of the city’s latest homicide victim.
The Mahoning County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Ronnell Matthews, 20, of Youngstown.
A 67-year-old Vaughn Avenue man walking his dog shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday on Liberty Road, near Atkinson Avenue on the city’s East Side, told police his pet led him to the area where the body was found.
Matthews’ body was on the east side of the road partially in a ditch on his right side bleeding from the back of his head from a gunshot wound, according to a police report.
There were also two spent shell casings beside the victim’s body.
Police don’t have a street address for Matthews. Vindicator files had him living on Albert Street as of June 2007.
Matthews had no identification on him when his body was found, said police Capt. Ken Centorame.
But police were able to determine who he was — Centorame declined to say how — and the victim’s body was identified by his mother.
There was a cellular telephone at Matthews’ feet when his body was found.
The coroner’s office said Matthews was shot multiple times.
As for where the shooting actually occurred, Centorame said police don’t know if it was on Liberty Road or if his body was moved there.
Police also don’t know what time Matthews was shot or how long his body was lying on Liberty Road, Centorame said.
The police are following leads and talking to Matthews’ family to determine where he was in the final hours leading to his death with the hope of finding who killed him, Centorame said.
Matthews’ death is the city’s ninth homicide victim this year. Six people died in a Jan. 23 arson. Two others were shot to death.
County grand juries indicted Matthews on a receiving stolen property charge in December 2006 and for cocaine possession in June 2007, according to Vindicator files.
Matthews was placed on two years’ probation in January this year.
skolnick@vindy.com