Eric Washington Jr., 23, was shot in the neck and died on November 22, 2021, after an incident at an apartment on the 3500 block of Fremont Street on Columbus’s West Side. He was taken to a nearby hospital but did not survive his injuries.

Police charged 21-year-old Samantha Stevens of Akron with murder in connection with the shooting. Police reports say Stevens and Washington were arguing when she fired at least one shot. Stevens left the scene and turned herself in to police two days later. During the trial, the defense said Washington had been physically abusive and that Stevens had not aimed when she pulled the trigger; prosecutors said Stevens escalated the situation by bringing a firearm.

A jury in June 2023 was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the murder charge; Stevens was retried and ultimately pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and received a five and a half year prison sentence. The murder charge was dismissed and she was found not guilty of tampering with evidence as part of the plea. Did anyone who knew Eric or was in that neighborhood that night see or hear anything that could add detail to what happened?