Possible connection between 5-year-old double murder, West Park murder-suicide: Metroparks

FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland Metroparks Police are looking into possible connections between a five-year-old double murder and the recent West Park murder-suicide.

According to the director of communications for Cleveland Metroparks, police are specifically looking into Bryan Hurt, the suspect who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after murdering his neighbor.

Darlene Sledge, the Mother of murder victim Carnell Sledge, tells 19 News that Cleveland Metroparks Police contacted her about why they’re looking into the potential connection to Bryan Hurt. “After the murder-suicide happened, they thought it was worth checking into because he went back to the park where Carnell and Kate were murdered. Why would he go to the Metroparks to take his own life? He already killed his neighbor, and so he went back to the Metroparks to kill himself; that’s not such a coincidence.”

19 News has learned that Cleveland Police were called to Hurt’s Munn Road address 71 times since 2016. Police noted they were repeatedly called out to the address by neighbors, some complaining of Hurt blowing his horn at 4:30 in the morning. In one case, a woman said he was shining a light into her windows, and she was afraid of him. There were also numerous complaints of Hurt making derogatory slurs, and Hurt allegedly making threats involving a gun.

Carnell Sledge and Kate Brown, two longtime friends, were murdered near a park bench in the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation near Valley Parkway almost six years ago on June 4, 2019.

Hurt died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound a short distance away from the double murder scene at Groth Memorial and Scenic Overlook.

Sledge and Brown were killed in broad daylight at the busy park. Both had been shot in the back of the head.

Darlene Sledge said her son, an IT Tech and basketball coach, started a non-profit called Sledge’s Helping Hands was supposed to meet his parents and grandmother for dinner that night. But he also was trying to be a good friend, “I’m sure Kate texted him because it must have been urgent on her end because he went right after work-- and if he planned to do something different, he would have let us know.”

Their killer has not been found.

Earlier this month, Hurt allegedly shot and killed his neighbor, 68-year-old Thomas Overall, in broad daylight.

The shooting happened on the 15700 block of Munn Road in the West Park neighborhood.

The families of Sledge and Brown released a statement Saturday morning thanking community members for the outpouring of support.

The families also said they intend to announce plans for this year’s memorial soon. Darlene Sledge tells 19 News her family does not plan to go back to the Rocky River Reservation during the upcoming anniversary because it’s too painful. “We will go to the cemetery and clean his headstone and make new memories.”

19 News asked Metroparks if a specific lead drew them to look into Hurt, but Metroparks has yet to respond.

A $100,000 reward is available for information leading to an arrest. Tipsters will stay anonymous.