Unsolved Mysteries returns with four new true stories in Volume 5. The first episode is titled Park Bench Murders, directed by Skye Borgman, and tells the story of a tragic incident that took place on June 4, 2019. On that day, two kayakers stumbled upon the most shocking scene in Cleveland Metroparks' Rocky River Reservation: the dead bodies that belonged to Carnell Sledge and Katherine Brown.
The friends who had arrived at the park to meet were found on the riverbank with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. While the authorities continue to investigate the crime, it has emerged that even after five years, they have been unable to establish who shot them from behind. This leaves the question to be solved by Unsolved Mysteries viewers to bring out possible theories about who committed the murder.
A local roofer in the area told police he saw Brown and Sledge enter the park around 5:00 pm. He said he did not hear any shots which killed the victims. Later, their bodies were found by kayakers at 5:22 pm, which allowed a 15-minute window for the crime to take place. With little to go on, the victims' families are scrambling to come up with theories as to why their loved ones were targeted.
Though this is a known case to the locals, Unsolved Mysteries has touched on some extra aspects that make the unsolved murders even more complicated. This article will cover all the puzzles highlighted by the episode.
All the odd details in The Park Bench Murders from Unsolved Mysteries
Kate met Nell for the first time in a club when she was 21. She bumped into him and liked him. They struck up a conversation and became instant friends. The two friends spent ten long years through the ups and downs of life. Nell always thought of Kate and was generous and kind to her.
On Tuesday, June 4, 2019, Nell was due to visit his grandmother for a family dinner between 5 pm and 5.30 pm. As Nell was leaving work at 4.30 pm, Kate sent him a message saying she needed to meet him at Rocky River Park for a few minutes, to which Carnell agreed, not expecting it to take long. He did not mention the meeting to his family and that he would be late for dinner.
Shortly after 5:00 pm, among the hordes of dog walkers, joggers, and cyclists, they sat down on a bench to chat, unaware that someone from behind was watching. Five minutes passed, and the unknown assailant ended their lives.
Although the incident took place five years ago, Unsolved Mysteries dug deeper into interviews and conversations with friends and family, unearthing the information that makes this unsolved murder even more baffling.
1) Carnell’s family didn't know Kate
As shown in Unsolved Mysteries, Kate's family saw Nell as her 'good friend,' someone she could always turn to when things were going seriously wrong. On the other hand, Nell's family did not know Kate. While Nell's mother said he was a private person, Kate's family stated that the two had been friends for ten years before this incident. Indeed, parents do not know all their children's friends. But a friendship of 10 years is more than enough to be known.
It is also the first time a potential romantic relationship has been explored in the show. Kate's sister remembered that Nell had told her he and Kate would be together one day and might tell Kate how he felt.
2) Location of the park
Rocky River Reservation is one of the breathtaking areas within the Cleveland Metroparks system in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. With its natural beauty, diverse landscape, and abundance of recreational opportunities, it attracts many outdoor enthusiasts. The Rocky River runs through the park, creating amazing valleys, rocky cliffs, and lush green forests.
The park itself is nothing more than a large valley surrounding the Rocky River. You can enter the park at designated points and then drive down to the bottom. If you try to leave at a non-designated entrance, the steep and wooded hills will make it very difficult to climb and descend. So, there were no escape points for the murderer. Even if he was driving or on foot, it is weird that the killer did not get spotted in any of the CCTV cameras installed in the area or even escaped the checking points while carrying a weapon.
3) The murder seems to be more planned than a spontaneous act
Unsolved Mysteries suggests several clues that point to a pre-planned murder: there was a 14-minute window for the whole act to take place, not just the shooting, but the entire approach, as no one was watching. The killer used a silenced small-caliber weapon, which is not common for people to keep.
This theory derived after watching Unsolved Mysteries is not very difficult to consider as the killer left the spot unseen in those 14 minutes. The kayaker would have noticed them if he had stayed a little longer. This killer must have also known both victims well and had them followed to know their exact location at such a large park and took advantage of good timing to shoot when no one was around.
4) How the police didn't find a single suspect
As seen in Unsolved Mysteries, none of the people questioned by the police were considered 'suspects.' Although the police had their doubts, they soon ruled out their involvement. Firstly, there was a carpenter who was at the scene at the time of Kate and Carnell's murders, who claimed he had not heard or seen anything and had been working when the crime took place.
Carnell's girlfriend legally owned a gun. However, there was a strong possibility of a jealous murder because Nell and Kate were rekindling their relationship. This theory was also ruled out as Carnell's ex co-operated with the police investigation.
5) How both families remain suspicious of each other
Both Kate and Carnell, as shown in Unsolved Mysteries, came from good families, and what happened to the two victims is heartbreaking and disheartening. But instead of working together and supporting each other in the light of their children's years of friendship, the two families started throwing shade and blaming each other.
Perhaps it would have made sense to continue the blame game if one of the two had survived. But as Unsolved Mysteries recalls the old case, both victims are dead, and the killer is still out there. So it is a bit strange that the families remain at odds.
6) Kate's crazy online dating history
Kate engaged herself with crazy people if we consider her online dating history. We get to learn from Unsolved Mysteries that one of Kate’s online dates allegedly stabbed someone to death while her last ex-boyfriend physically abused her. Kate's mother also had to call the police on an ex-boyfriend. It is not hard to believe that one of her former partners might have been involved in the crime.
Kate's family suspects that her toxic ex of over a year might be the killer. They remember seeing her with him, and she was crying the night before the murder. Her ex was not welcomed by Kate’s family to her funeral either.
When they sent someone to inform him about it, they found out that he had a handgun in his possession. Kate’s sister thinks that he might have followed her from the gym and committed the murders, but the police have dismissed this theory, saying he was in the hair salon at the time of the murder.
Unsolved Mysteries is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Reply
