CLEVELAND — Viktor Vendler, the suspect accused of killing 74-year-old Leroy Johnston at the Cleveland Metroparks Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville has been indicted on multiple charges.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment charging Vendler with the following:
- Two counts of aggravated murder
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of tampering with evidence
- One count of gross abuse of a corpse
“For several months our community has sought answers to the senseless homicide of Leroy Johnston,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “I want to thank the Cleveland Metroparks Police Department for their tireless work on this case. Today marks the first steps of justice for Leroy Johnston and his family.”
The indictment comes over a week after Vendler was arrested by Cleveland Metroparks police on May 28.
Officials say that on Sept. 24, 2023, Vendler allegedly lured Johnston to the Mill Stream Run Reservation near the Royalview Picnic Shelter in Strongsville. Vendler allegedly shot the victim in the head and fled the scene.
Johnston's body was discovered on Sept. 30, 2023, with a gunshot wound in a remote wooded area at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville. Police say that the investigation revealed that Vendler and Johnston were allegedly acquaintances.
