CLEVELAND — More than three years after four murder victims were discovered inside a Cleveland residence, a Cuyahoga County grand jury has returned an indictment against a suspect.
On Tuesday, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley announced that 34-year-old Terrell Silver has been indicted on the following charges:
- 15 counts of Aggravated Murder
- One count of Aggravated Burglary
- One count of Aggravated Robbery
- One count of Having Weapons Under Disability
- One count of Tampering With Evidence
At some point between Sept. 7 and Sept. 21, 2019, Silver is alleged to have approached four victims, including two females (ages 18 and 19) and two males (ages 20 and 23) inside a residence near East 144th Street and Kinsman Road in Cleveland where they were staying at the time. It is alleged that Silver fatally shot all four victims multiple times as they were laying down on two mattresses on the floor before fleeing the scene, and officials believe their corpses had been inside for roughly two weeks before being found.
The 18-year-old female victim, identified as Euclid native Jazmyne Lawson, was 5 1/2 months pregnant at the time of her murder. The remaining three victims were as follows:
- 23-year-old Christopher Monroe, of Cleveland
- 20-year-old Dejuan Damar Willis, of Twinsburg
- 19-year-old Aiyanna Quitman, of Euclid
It is believed that Silver knew at least one of the victims and entered the residence with the intent to kill.
Court records show Silver has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2006, including prior convictions for aggravated robbery and weapons charges that saw him serve multiple years in prison. In fact, the Cleveland native is already incarcerated at the Trumbull Correctional Institution after pleading guilty to unrelated attempted robbery and weapons offenses last year.
An investigation linked Silver to the crime using DNA and gun tool mark evidence from the scene. Speaking with 3News' Isabel Lawrence on Tuesday, O'Malley discussed the difficulties of the case.
"The individuals we believe had been deceased in that home for approximately two weeks, there were no witnesses, there were no videotapes, there was nothing really we have in most of our cases," O'Malley said. "So this was a very difficult case that took a lot of old-fashioned leg work to really solve."
In the indictment, prosecutors noted they could still seek the death penalty against the defendant.
O'Malley released the following statement:
"Today's indictment demonstrates that victims are not forgotten. Law enforcement continues to investigate and search for those responsible who commit these violent crimes that are destroying lives and adversely impacting our community. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these victims as we begin seeking justice for this horrendous crime. Today's indictment is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of law enforcement and I want to personally thank the members of the Cleveland Homicide Initiative, which includes the Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. I would also like to thank the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cuyahoga County Forensic Science Lab."