Most Cleveland homicides in 2022 so far were shootings

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - It’s been more than a month since the body of a local man was found in a Cleveland sewer.

His murder still remains a mystery.

Phillip Jones is just one of more than two dozen people who have been killed in the city so far this year.

19 Investigates found like Jones, almost all of the victims were shot to death.

And many of their murders are unsolved as well.

Workers were inspecting a sewer on Euclid Avenue at West Belvoir on February 2 when they came across the decomposing body of Phillip Jones.

He died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

“I was watching the news I see that a child they found in a sewer and then three weeks later I find out that it’s my nephew,” said Jim Boyd Sr., the victim’s uncle.

Since the first of the year, at least 26 deaths in Cleveland have been ruled or are being investigated as homicides, according to records from police and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.

19 Investigates dug deeper and found all but three of those victims were fatally shot.

Two people were stabbed to death.

Cleveland’s youngest homicide victim of 2022 died from blunt force injuries.

Prosecutors say 3-month-old King Kai Alexander was killed by his father.

Police were quick to make an arrest in that case, but several homicides are still unsolved, including the death of Phillip Jones.

If you have information that could help investigators, give Crimestoppers a call at 216-252-7463.

You may be wondering how the number of homicides in Cleveland so far this year compares to last year.

Our Investigative team found between January 1 and March 9 of last year, there were 23 homicides in Cleveland.

During that time period in 2022, we found there were 26 homicides, which means murders in the city are currently up 13% year-to-year.

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