Summit County Medical Examiner

09/05/2026

NEWS RELEASE / MULTIPLE CASES
posted 9/5/26
Updated 9/6/26 & 9/14/26

Update (9/6/26):
The female victim involved in the incident at Summa Barberton Citizens Hospital was identified as Ceaira Cook, a 34-year-old from Akron.

The victim discovered in Summit Lake was identified as Raheem Heard, a 24-year-old male from Akron.

Update (9/14/26):
Concerning the homicide in Barberton, the victim has been identified as Yesli Yanet Vazquez Cruz, a 26-year-old female.

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The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Barberton Police Department are investigating the death of a 34-year-old female. On 9/4/26, at approximately 3:05pm, the victim was leaving work at Summa Barberton Citizens Hospital when she was struck by a truck that was backing up in the docking area. The victim was taken to the Emergency Department where she later died from her injuries at 3:57pm.

The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Akron Police Department are investigating the death of an unidentified male that was discovered in Summit Lake. On 9/4/26, at approximately 5:10pm, a fisherman was fishing from a dock when he discovered a body in the lake. 911 was called and personnel from the Akron Fire and Police Departments responded to the scene. The victim was recovered from the lake and pronounced dead at the scene at 5:30pm.

The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Barberton Police Department are investigating the homicide of a 26-year-old female. On 9/4/26 at approximately 11:25pm, Police and EMS responded to an address in the 1500 block of Wooster Road West for a suspicious death. When first responders arrived on scene they discovered the victim with multiple stab wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:17am on 9/5/26.

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09/04/2026

09/01/2026

An investigation is underway after a partial human skull was found in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by kayakers in June 2026.

At this time, many questions remained unanswered and the investigation is ongoing. We are currently in the process of attempting to obtain a DNA profile.

Updates will be provided, when available.

Kayakers discovered a partial human skull in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park on June 19.

08/31/2026

NEWS RELEASE
posted 8/31/26

Concerning the homicide that occurred on 8/30/2026 at approximately 6:33am, at the Circle K located at 940 South Arlington Street in Akron.

The victim has been identified as Rickie Essick, a 63-year-old male from Akron.

The autopsy has been completed, and the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death is Homicide.

08/18/2026

Livor Mortis: More Than “Purple = Dead for X Hours”

A member of our community sent us a fantastic literature-based livor mortis refresher and gave us permission to build on it and share it. This is exactly the kind of collaboration we want to encourage - professionals sharing knowledge to make all of us better investigators.

Livor mortis can tell us a lot, but only when we understand its limitations.

It can help us evaluate:

Body position - Is the lividity consistent with the position in which the decedent was found?

Possible movement - Are there competing or “double” patterns suggesting repositioning before fixation?

Pressure points - Clothing, bedding, straps, medical devices, body folds, and objects beneath the decedent can prevent blood from settling and create striking areas of pallor.

Postmortem changes vs. trauma - Dependent discoloration, pressure pallor, and Tardieu spots can sometimes resemble bruising, patterned injury, petechiae, or other traumatic findings.

Environmental and physiologic influences - Temperature, blood loss, body habitus, vascular congestion, decomposition, and other factors can alter how lividity develops and appears.

And perhaps most importantly - Livor mortis is NOT a stopwatch.

The familiar timelines - onset, development, blanching and fixation - are useful ranges, not biological deadlines. They should never be used alone to declare a precise time of death.

The investigator’s job isn’t simply to document “lividity present.”

Document where it is AND where it isn’t.

Check whether it blanches.

Compare it to the body’s position.

Look for pressure patterns.

Photograph it.

Then correlate those findings with the scene, history, environment and the rest of the postmortem examination.

Sometimes what lividity doesn’t match is just as important as what it does.

This refresher was developed from information found in commonly used forensic pathology references including DiMaio & DiMaio, Dolinak/Lew/Mitshka, and Spitz & Fisher.

Huge thank you to the investigator who took the time to put the original material together and offered it to the community. This is what professional collaboration should look like.

Have another literature-supported tip investigators should know about livor mortis? Drop it in the comments or send us a message and we will help develop it.

Support. Educate. Collaborate.

08/10/2026

NEWS RELEASE
posted & updated 8/10/26

Update: The victim was identified as J'Air L. Bell, a 19-year-old from Akron. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death is Homicide.
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The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Akron Police Department are investigating the homicide of a 19-year-old male.

On 08/09/2026, at approximately 2:00pm, Akron Police and EMS responded to the intersection of Manchester Road and Lakemont Avenue for a shooting. When first responders arrived on scene, the victim was discovered in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:17pm.

An autopsy will be performed today.

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08/03/2026

NEWS RELEASE
posted 8/3/26

The Summit County Medical Examiner and the Stow Fire Department are investigating the fire fatality of a 46-year-old male.

On 8/1/2026, at approximately 10:50pm, Stow Fire responded to a residential fire in the 5200 block of Stow Road. When first responders arrived on scene, they encountered heavy fire and smoke. Fire personnel entered the residence where they discovered the male victim on the second floor.

The victim was removed from the residence and transported to Akron General Medical Center Stow Emergency Department where he later died at 12:34am, on 8/2/2026.

The victim was identified as Joe Vizmeg, a 46-year-old male from Stow.

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07/16/2026

Concerning the body that was recovered from Portage Lakes (East Reservoir) on 07/15/2026, at approximately 11:15am, he has been positively identified as Michael J. Ocepek, a 55-year-old male from Copley, Ohio.

An examination has been performed today. The cause of death is probable drowning. The manner of death will be Accident.

07/15/2026

NEWS RELEASE
posted & updated 7/15/26

Update: The victim has been identified as Adonis Darrell McCloud, a 19-year-old male from Akron. The autopsy was completed and the cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. The manner of death is Homicide.
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The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Akron Police Department are investigating the homicide of a 19-year-old male.

On 07/14/2026, at approximately 9:50pm, officers responded to a shooting in the 600 block of Callis Oval following an altercation.
When first responders arrived on scene they discovered the victim with multiple gunshot wounds.

The victim was transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead at 10:17pm.

Once positive identification is made and the examination is completed we will give an update.

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07/09/2026

NEWS RELEASE
posted 7/9/26

The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Hudson Police Department are investigating the traffic death of Joseph Gindlesperger, a 37-year-old male from Northfield.

On 7/8/2026, shortly before 9:00pm, Mr. Gindlesperger was operating a motorcycle southbound on Ravenna Road in Hudson when he traveled off the roadway and into the grass where he struck a downed tree/log. Mr. Gindlesperger was ejected from the motorcycle.

Mr. Gindlesperger was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:15pm.

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