Fox News reported on some new evidence today!
Not sure if I should include a "trigger warning", but I know a few posters also knew Nell. It has parts of the kayaker's 911 call, police audio, and visual reenactment of what may have occurred. It was an unexpected gut-punch...
New video, clues revealed in Cleveland Metroparks murder mystery nearly two years later
Recap of the new information released:
- Police dash cam footage - clearly shows how busy park/area was at the time of the crime
- Anonymous letter (will try to transcribe what I can see on the flashes of the letter from the Fox News report below so you don't have to to do the "pause, read, play, pause, play, pause TOO FAR!, rewind, too far again, pause, read... " yourself ) received by Fox News several months after the murders and was immediately turned over to FBI
- Nell apparently made dinner plans with his family and was expected to be to his grandmother's house within the hour he was in the park. (I don't know the proximity of the park to his grandmother's house).
- Re-enactment of what potentially occurred, indicating the close-range nature of the attack
- Positions Kate and Nell were found in relation to the bench
Here's what can I make of the letter (if anyone does gets better details, please add/edit), verbatim (author's errors included):
"I have seen new reports that the killer or killers of Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown haven't been found. No suspects.
Their killer was a woman. I don't know how she knew them or why she happened to be there that day.
She parked out of sight and walked to the bench where Carnell was sitting. Kate had walked closer to the water's edge to look at something.
To best describe the woman is to take Reba McIntire from the "Reba" Show. She best fits the description of the woman. Giver her the hair of "Reba's" daughter Kyra. Put on her a spanish olive green sweatshirt like a hoody, faided blue.... "
(Then the screen flips to another part of the the letter):
"...Kate joined Carnell and sat on the bench, getting up again and going away from the bench. None of my busness by were the two talking marriage? Don't believe this was the motive.
I hit a snag. I thought I had a name, but who said the name wasn't Carnell or Kate. It was a white man, sitting on the bench with sandy brown hair and glasses like Drew Carrey. He was looking behind the bench at the woman and he said "for God's sake Amy, put down the gun!"
But the more the woman was talked to, the more agitated and irated she got, until she had had enough and shot Carnell first."
This is all I could get from the news video.
So first, the park seemed SO crowded! Now, undoubtedly police presence likely brought over more walkers and lookers, but still seems like a lot of potential witnesses.
I was surprised to learn Nell had dinner plans. So what brought him to the park? Was he lured? Were they both? IMO, unlikely, but only because I don't believe the mutual friends (outside of family and close friends) was such that one person could lure them BOTH. Again, just MO.
Nell was a big support to Kate, especially when she was struggling with substance abuse, and played a role in her recovery. She had been 2 years sober, but I wouldn't doubt if, for example, Kate and rough day and called Nell, he'd make it a point to meet up and just make sure she was OK (perhaps before heading to dinner). Again, all MO.
As for this letter - aside from the validity, which we DO NOT know -
- The first thing that struck me was the tv show references - Reba and Drew Carey. Definitely older tv shows. I'll admit I'm not much of a sitcom watcher, and while I am familiar with both shows, it's a reference I'd never think to make (let alone recall Reba's daughter's name!). It was just an interesting way to describe the two people this person saw.
- The author claims the killer "parked out of sight and walked to the bench..." which makes sense to me, based on the seeming lack of evidence. And in a crowded park, "she" could have walked away and blended right in with the rest of the park goers.
- We know 3 shots were fired - that's a lot of shots to go "unnoticed" (basically unheard) by the park goers. And with the river right there, it might even echo. It's hard to believe neither the man in his car (doing paperwork - I originally said he was working on his computer) or the kayakers didn't heard a single shot (or anyone else near the area yet out of sightline at the time). Would a silencer muffle the sounds to the point of no one hearing anything?
- I was also struck by there being another male sitting on the bench when it happened. It's not a very large bench. It seems odd a complete stranger would sit down next to them without knowing them (although, he could have asked, I guess!). I could go on about this, but it's all speculation on a letter we don't even know is true...
There's a lot of speculation that could be made from this letter. And while I don't want to go down a rabbit hole, there are a few things in the letter that didn't totally surprise. However, since we don't know the validity, I'm honestly not sure it's appropriate to get into?
Regardless, I hope this renews interest in the case, maybe scares someone into talking. I just hope it means we're one step closer to finding answers!