Heidi Duda, a 48-year-old woman from Columbus, Ohio, was shot in the early hours of March 26, 2022, while inside a van on Country Club Road. She was initially taken to Mount Carmel East in critical condition and died three days later. Rodney Vanatta, 53, who was with her in the van, called 911 and told police an unknown male wearing a tan hoodie and driving a gray or maroon car fired the shots. Vanatta was first charged with felonious assault; after Duda’s death the charges were upgraded to two counts of murder.

Vanatta maintained he was not the shooter and that someone else was responsible. The case went to trial and in July 2023 a jury found Vanatta not guilty on all charges, accepting the defense that another person had fired the fatal shots. The killing remains unsolved; Columbus police and Central Ohio Crime Stoppers are seeking leads and a cash reward is being offered for information that could lead to the responsible party’s arrest and indictment.

Duda was remembered by family and friends as a bartender, motorcycle enthusiast and traveler. She is survived by her mother Ann Duda; her father and stepmother, Ron and Lela Duda; and two sons, Wyatt Lee and Cody. If anyone has information about the shooting on Country Club Road or the person seen wearing a tan hoodie driving a gray or maroon car, please contact investigators.