Sierra Strickland, a 28-year-old African American woman from Youngstown, Ohio, was found shot to death in an alley behind a church on Belmont Avenue on October 24, 2016. Investigators described very little physical evidence at the scene, which has complicated efforts to solve the killing.

Detectives learned Strickland had a troubled past and was a drug user, which led them to focus on a suspect. A gun recovered from that person’s home did not match the shell casing from the alley, and the suspect was charged with an unrelated weapons offense instead. The lead investigator narrowed potential suspects but said there was not enough to make a case in Strickland’s murder.

Her grandmother, Cynthia Boston, has spoken about the family’s grief and insisted Strickland’s lifestyle did not justify her death. The case remains open; anyone with information is asked to come forward.