Defense seeks to dismiss murder case in 1997 Cleveland mother’s disappearance

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Nearly 30 years after Cathy Parisi vanished, the man charged with her murder is asking a judge to throw out the case, arguing that the delay in prosecution violated his rights and that key evidence is no longer available.

Michael Bukowski of Toledo faces six counts total from murder to gross abuse of a corpse in connection with Parisi’s 1997 disappearance. His defense team recently filed a motion to dismiss, calling the delay to indict him “unjustifiable.”

The disappearance

Parisi was 25 years old when she went missing on April 17, 1997. Her body was never found. She never got to see her daughters Angelina and Cecilia grow up.

Parisi vanished after taking an escort call in Parma. Her car was found a day later with her keys and cash inside.

19 investigates has been following this case for years. We first interviewed her daughters in January 2020, when we found investigators were treating the case as a homicide. You can watch that story here.

“I only can remember our family broken. So it’s nice to have those pictures of us all together, but I don’t remember any of it,” Angelina Speer said at the time as she looked through a photo album.

“Shortly after she went missing, my life just started falling apart and Angelina was taken away and I felt like I had nobody,” Cecelia Parisi said.

Motion to dismiss

According to the 34-page motion to dismiss filed by the defense, Bukowski was a suspect as early as 1997, when police records showed a phone in his apartment and a nearby payphone had contacted Parisi’s escort service around the time she took a client’s call and was never seen again. Bukowski was interviewed at the time but never charged.

His attorneys said the case sat untouched for 17 years. In court documents, the defense said detectives reopened the case in 2015 and retested evidence in 2016—and then Cuyahoga County prosecutors waited eight more years to indict Bukowski.

In the court documents, the defense said that delay has compromised the case: key witnesses have died, memories have faded, and some alleged evidence can no longer be tested.

According to court documents, that evidence includes a fingerprint found on a CD in Parisi’s car back in the early days of the investigation that police said matched Bukowski when they tested it in 2016. The defense said her vehicle was later removed or destroyed by the Cleveland Vehicle Impound Unit.

A broken necklace with a sunflower pendant, recovered from Bukowski’s apartment in 1997 and described as resembling a necklace Parisi wore daily, went missing approximately 10 years ago, according to the defense.

“This is an allegation that’s about three decades old,” defense attorney Marcus Sidoti, a partner at FG+G, told 19 News back in 2025.

“And my client has maintained his innocence in regards to the allegations. He’s remained in the community. He’s been working. He’s obviously here at court today for his pretrial. So he’s not a flight risk. And obviously everybody’s innocent until proven guilty,” he said.

Defense points to another suspect

Court documents show the defense focused on a different suspect in Parisi’s disappearance: James Faia, who died in 2022. Faia was an escort client of Parisi’s who, according to the documents, attacked her in his North Olmsted home in January 1997, just months before she vanished. Parisi told police at the time that Faia choked her, put a bag over her head and tried to kill her. He was arrested, but prosecutors dropped the charges after Parisi disappeared.

The defense said four witnesses pointed police to Faia as a suspect over the years.

According to court documents filed by the defense, one man said Faia told him he was going to “make that b---- disappear.” Police investigated Faia at the time. He denied any involvement before his death and was never charged in connection with Parisi’s disappearance.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Sidoti told 19 News: “The state has had nothing new since 1997. She disappeared less than 90 days after Faia was charged with attempted murder.”

“And now as a result of the state’s delay, all of this information is not available in fairness, in justice, and Michael Bukowski’s fairness has been compromised by nothing more than their unjustifiable delay,” he continued.

“Every family who’s missing someone wants justice, but they got the wrong guy, and they dropped the ball,” Sidoti said.

Family responds, trial date set

Parisi’s daughter, Angelina Speer, sent 19 News a statement following news of the motion to dismiss.

“In the last week my family has had sleepless and endless nights fraught with anxiety after learning about the motion to dismiss. As her daughter it’s been especially painful, focusing at work or routine household tasks has been almost impossible to do without having a sinking feeling occurring repeatedly. My mother was more than a case number, she was a loving mother, partner, daughter, friend, and most importantly a human whose life mattered. For many years my family has had to not only experience her loss but carry the weight of her loss while awaiting answers and justice. We believe this case deserves to be heard fully and fairly in the court of law. While we respect and understand the legal process far too well, seeking dismissal before that process is complete feels like another attempt to silence my mothers voice and deny our family justice after it’s been repeatedly delayed for almost 30 years. We believe that not only her case but every single victim deserves the dignity for the truth to be examined openly and not behind closed doors. We are always so grateful for our community and the media for the continued support and respect during the most difficult time of our lives. As we await the judges decision my family will continue to stand together to advocate for my mother and pray for the case to forward, the mere thought that it won’t, is enough to make us all sick and hopeless. My mother’s life mattered, and we will never stop seeking justice for her.”

A judge has not yet ruled on the motion to dismiss. The defense said it wants one key question answered: what new evidence did prosecutors bring to the grand jury that they did not already have? Cuyahoga County prosecutors declined to comment, citing the pending case.

Bukowski is due back in court next Tuesday. His trial is set for Aug. 24.

19 Investigates covered Cathy Parisi’s case in our true crime podcast, Dark Side of the Land. You can listen to the most recent episode here.

Need an investigation? Contact 19 Investigates with your request.