Robert Lester, 52, was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the Livingston Market parking lot in the Driving Park neighborhood on July 25, 2022. Police say he had been shot earlier in the Hilltop area and was later driven to the East Side, where he died. The killing was recorded as the 79th homicide in Columbus that year.

Investigators arrested 49-year-old Richard L. Schoonover on August 4, 2022, charging him with Lester’s murder. According to police, Schoonover pulled up beside Lester’s vehicle, shouted at its occupants and fired shots. Reports also state Lester may have tried to buy marijuana with a counterfeit $100 bill.

Anyone who knew Lester, witnessed the shooting, or has information relevant to this case is asked to come forward.