Mario Whitfield

Mario Scott Whitfield, a 24-year-old Black man known to his loved ones as “Rio,” was a lifelong resident of Lorain, Ohio, remembered for his love of sports and his ability to make people laugh. Born in nearby Amherst on February 2, 1987, he was an avid fan of Cleveland's professional sports teams: the Cavaliers, the Indians, and the Browns. His own athletic talent shone through in his youth. He played little league baseball and, as an eighth-grader, led the Lorain Middle School basketball team to an undefeated season. His skill on the court was such that he even played in a few varsity games as a freshman at Admiral King High School. A member of Compassion Baptist Church, Mario enjoyed listening to music and spending time with his family. He was a beloved son to his mother, Lendia, a father to his daughter, Kalaya Flint, and a brother to Marcus Whitfield.

The early morning hours of Thursday, September 1, 2011, shattered the lives of Mario's family and friends. At approximately 4:45 a.m., Lorain Police officers were dispatched to the area of West 24th Street and Westview Court after receiving reports of shots fired and a man possibly being hit. Arriving at the scene, they found Mario Whitfield unresponsive in the front yard of a duplex at 2334 Westview Court. He had suffered a single gunshot wound to his upper right chest and armpit area and was pronounced deceased. The night had been winding down from a party in the area, with several people still lingering outside.

According to the account of a single witness who came forward, they were sitting on a curb with Mario when an unknown man approached them on foot, emerging from between the duplexes on the south side of the street. The man brandished a handgun and began to chase Mario in a northbound direction, firing three to four rounds. As Mario fled for his life, the witness ran westbound and was not injured. The witness was unable to provide a description that could identify the shooter. Despite the number of people in the vicinity as the party broke up, no one else claimed to have witnessed the shooting or offered any information to investigators.

The Lorain Police Department launched a homicide investigation, with detectives interviewing numerous individuals based on anonymous tips. However, none of these leads have ever been strong enough to identify a specific suspect or lead to an arrest in Mario's murder. Two years after the killing, in August 2013, investigators stated that the case was far from cold and that they were actively pursuing leads and information they were trying to develop. Detectives expressed their belief that the homicide was connected to drugs and gangs, though they did not elaborate on the specifics of that connection.

A significant source of frustration for law enforcement has been the reluctance of witnesses to cooperate. Lorain Police Lt. Roger Watkins stated in 2013, “I believe there were a substantial amount of people outside who witnessed the death.” Detectives believe that the "code of the street," an unwritten rule against talking to the police, has been a major impediment to solving this case and others in the city. They remain convinced that there are people in the community who know who is responsible for Mario Whitfield's death but have refused to come forward out of fear or a deep-seated distrust of law enforcement.

Mario was laid to rest in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain following a funeral service at Compassion Baptist Church on September 7, 2011. He was mourned by his mother, daughter, brother, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, an aunt, an uncle, and two cousins. His family and friends have had to endure more than a decade without answers or justice.

As of August 2013, the investigation into Mario Whitfield’s homicide remained active, but no arrests have ever been announced. The case is now considered a cold case, listed by the Ohio Attorney General's office among the state's unsolved homicides. Investigators continue to hope that someone with crucial information will finally break their silence and come forward to help bring closure to a family that has waited too long for justice.