Police Searching for Ohio Man Who Broadcasted Murder
As of the afternoon of April 17, police are looking for a Ohio man who shot and killed an elderly man and broadcasted the murder through Facebook on Easter Sunday, April 16. Cleveland police have issued an aggravated warrant for his arrest. He is assumed to be armed and dangerous.
The suspect is described as African-American, is bald with a full beard, stands at 6’1” and 244 pounds. He was last seen driving a late model white Ford Fusion with temporary plates. While the murder was committed in Cleveland, Ohio, and police believe he may be within a few miles of the city, they have expanded the search to several midwestern and northeastern states.
The suspect, 37-year-old Steve Stephens, stepped out of his car and walked up to Robert Godwin, a 74-year-old father of nine, and shot him. As of April 17, there is no known motive or evidence as to why Godwin was targeted.
In a press briefing, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams confirmed that police have contacted Stephens via cell phone, and have managed to ask him to turn himself in. Those efforts have yet to result in any major leads or an arrest.
“We are asking him to turn himself in,” pleaded Williams in the briefing. “We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now. We want him to turn himself in. If that doesn’t happen, again, we have we have all of our partners [state and county police, as well as the FBI] in on this.”
Maggie Green, the suspect’s mother, says that her son’s actions are a reaction to recent break up.
“He said this (was) the last time I was going to see him,” Green told CNN. “If you see me again, it’ll be a miracle,” she says, allegedly quoting her son.
The victim, Godwin was taking a walk on the street after an Easter afternoon spent with his family, Robert Godwin Jr, Godwin’s son claimed.
“He is a good guy…he’d give you the shirt off his back and I’m not just saying that for these cameras,” a mourning Godwin told WOIO. “This man right here was a good man. I hate he’s gone.”
Facebook has since removed both Stephen’s account and the video of the murder, however the graphic material is still available online.