Tag Archives: Columbus Ohio

Cold Case Quest

Cold Case Quest: Lisa Denby

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Lisa Denby

Although Lisa Denby did not walk a straight and narrow path during her life, she deserves justice like anyone else.

She had been a prostitute on the east side of Columbus, Ohio. It’s possible that someone she knew took her life by shooting her on August 10, 1998.

Denby was found at the rear of 1562 E. Long St. at 2 p.m. The police believe that she was shot earlier that morning.

No one has been named as a suspect. Denby was listed in a Columbus Dispatch news article about prostitutes who had been murdered in Columbus from 1990 to 2002.

Several of those cases are similar to Denby’s homicide: Cynthia Davison, Carla Hagwood, Brenda Mitchell and Tarienna Glenn. All of the ladies were shot. All incidents occurred on the east side of Columbus. The victims were African-American, except for Mitchell.

So far no witnesses have come forward. If anyone knows anything about any of the cases listed, contact the Columbus Police or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.

 Rewards may be available for information on a case that leads to a conviction by contacting Central Ohio’s Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-8477 or visiting their website.

Area of Denby’s homicide

If you happen to have a photograph of Denby, please contact me at Chasing Destino on Facebook.

If you have any information or questions about Lisa Denby’s case, please contact the Columbus Police Department. The Homicide Cold Case Unit number is available (614) 645-4036 during the hours of 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. You can also call the Investigative Subdivision Duty Desk at (614) 645-4624, after hours.

Cold Case Quest

Cold Case Quest: Janet Amar

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Janet Amar

 On January 23, 1992, 35 year- old Janet Amar was found in a vacant building by the owner of the building. An aunt had filed a missing persons report on January 6. The last time that her family saw her was January 4. The coroner determined that Amar had been strangled. It has not been reported whether she actually died on January 4 or January 23.

She left the house at 2:30 a.m on January 4. Where did she go? Most bars are closing at that time. She could have been going to an after hours party or to meet someone specific. Honestly, Amar could have been walking to the drive-thru to get cigarettes. It doesn’t seem like she meant to be gone for longer than an hour or two. I think that whoever she met that night took her to the vacant building. It’s about a ten minute walk from her home to the place where she was found.

The house was empty for about 3 weeks. Amar was missing for the same amount of time. It’s just a theory, could the suspect be the previous tenant or the home owner? Someone knew that the house was empty and possibly had access. The suspect could have also been squatting in the house until just before the owner came to the house on January 23. What do the police know about the tenant or owner?

The route between her house and the Berkeley Road house. Some businesses might not have been there in 1992.

It’s possible that someone saw Amar on January 4. She might have been walking with someone or getting in a car with someone.

If you have any information or questions about Janet Amar’s case, please contact the Columbus Police Department. If you happen to have a photograph of Amar, please contact me at Chasing Destino on Facebook.

Cold Case Quest

Cold Case Quest: Marilyn Wray

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Marilyn Wray

Columbus resident Marilyn Wray, 21, was the mother of a six year old daughter. On December 15, 1978, Wray was killed by strangulation. The daughter was asleep in the next room but was unharmed. At 7 a.m. the same day, Wray was found by her sixteen year old sister, who lived nearby.

There was a male friend visiting until 2 a.m. that evening. Wray had been babysitting for her neighbors. The newspaper says that the male friend, the couple and the child left at 2 a.m.

Some items had been stolen from Wray’s bedroom but the police haven’t said what the items were. It doesn’t seem like burglary was the main motivation. As a single mother, she didn’t have a lot of money. Regardless of her financial situation, the crime seemed more personal than just wanting to steal a few things.

So did the boyfriend go back to her apartment later? The police questioned him but did not pursue an investigation. Did another person enter the apartment after the boyfriend left? I cannot say for sure that Wray’s case is connected to other cases. It’s always a possibility.

No one has come forward with information. However, I suspect that someone saw or heard something. The walls and floors of apartments tend to be thin so it’s possible that there are witnesses.

The purple marker is where the apartment complex is located in Columbus, Ohio. If anyone saw anything at the apartment on December 15 between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., they should contact the Columbus Police Department with any information that could help solve the case.


If anyone happens to know anything about Marilyn Wray or happens to have a photo, you can send a message to my Facebook page, Chasing Destino.


Cold Case Quest

Cold Case Quest: Edith Harris

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Edith Harris

Edith Harris, 25, had only been in Columbus for about two months. She was originally from Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

 On July 20, 1979, her body was found in a vacant lot on 22nd Street in Columbus. She had been there for an undetermined amount of time. The cause of death was blunt force trauma. There were not any witnesses that were known.

I can only find one newspaper article on Edith’s case. As of July 31, 1979, they were still trying to prove that she was Edith Harris. After that date, there isn’t any news coverage to speak of in the Columbus Dispatch. There isn’t a photograph of Edith on the Ohio Attorney General website or the newspaper.

At some point, Edith had been charged with prostitution. No one has said that she was still a prostitute.

Edith was new to the area. Her family wasn’t around to hound the police to find her killer. So the case went cold. Could Edith’s case be linked to the Paula Logan case? It’s just a theory.

There could have been witnesses. So if anyone remembers anything strange in the area shown in the map during July 1979, it’s not too late to submit a tip to the police.

Edith Harris was found in the area with the green marker.

If anyone happens to know anything about Edith Harris or if you have a photo of her, you can send a message to my Facebook page, Chasing Destino. More importantly, if you have any information about the homicide itself, please contact the Columbus Police Department.



Domestic Violence, Parenthood

Be On the Lookout: Olivia Cattano

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Olivia Cattano

Update: Olivia has been found!

Hello Everyone,

If you have a minute, be on the lookout for Olivia Cattano. She was taken out of school by her mother, Dawn Vigue, on September 9th and has not been seen since then. Olivia’s dad and family are doing everything possible to find her and bring her home. I do know her dad and have seen Olivia a few times through the years.

Her mother has lost custody but has not been served the paperwork yet. The word is that Dawn has had a history of violence against children. She went on the run while the court case was in process. Dawn Vigue has lived in the Columbus area, Ohio, including Westerville, Powell, and Delaware. She is also good at staying under the radar so she probably isn’t drawing attention to herself.

It is possible that they are staying in the area with a man named “Yogi.” The rumor is that Yogi is a pimp. I cannot stress how important it is to find Olivia. Her safety is really in jeopardy.

If I had to guess, I would say that they could be at a homeless shelter, a cheap motel or a campground. They are more than likely living a transient lifestyle so they could be anywhere. Columbus is also close to Interstates 71 and 70. They could have also gotten on Interstate 75 in Dayton.

Please share the Facebook posts or this post in order to get her Olivia’s story out there. So if you see Olivia or Dawn, please contact (419)202-1404 or (419)603-8661.

If you suspect that this case could be related to human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-3737-888 — or Text INFO or HELP to BeFree (233733). Calling 911 is always an option.