Daniel C. Chaz Dudley, a 26-year-old Black man from Cincinnati, was fatally shot in a drive-by early on September 29, 2007, in the Hartwell neighborhood. He was a front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by Douglas Davis when a white car pulled alongside and opened fire; Dudley was struck and another passenger, Zain Hasan, was wounded. Davis tried to get them to a hospital and encountered a Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy at a Speedway on Galbraith and Pippin Roads. Dudley was taken to University Hospital where he died of his injuries. Investigators believe Dudley was not the intended target. No arrests have been made and the case remained unsolved as of April 18, 2024.

After his death Hope Dudley founded U Can Speak For Me to push for answers and raise awareness; Daniel appears on the five of hearts in a deck of cards distributed to inmates as part of that effort. In 2024 the Cincinnati Police Department formed a Cold Case Task Force with the ATF, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office to reexamine unsolved cases including Dudley’s. A $2,500 reward is offered; anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.

Does anyone who was in Hartwell or at Club Ritz that night have details that could help investigators?