Deshawn Phillips, a 29-year-old man from Cincinnati, was found with multiple gunshot wounds on McHenry Avenue in East Westwood on December 31, 2018. He was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

The investigation resulted in the arrest and indictment of 26-year-old Vaughn Montgomery on charges of aggravated murder and having weapons while under disability. Court records state Montgomery was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior robbery conviction; at the time of the indictment he was already in custody at the Hamilton County Justice Center on unrelated charges.

Phillips’ death came after a year in which violence in East Westwood had decreased, attributed in part to the Cincinnati Police Department’s Pivot program. What information about that night or the people involved might still help bring clarity or justice for the family?