Willie Mae McCloud, 56, was found dead in her Columbus apartment on May 22, 2005, in what remains an unsolved homicide. Neighbors who had not seen her for a few days entered her unit at 4996 Chatterton Road after there was no response to knocks and discovered her body. She had been strangled and was found in a state of undress.

Authorities reported no obvious signs of forced entry and said the apartment was locked with a key that the perpetrator had taken, a detail that investigators view as indicating a deliberate act rather than a random break-in. McCloud was a familiar figure in the neighborhood, known for an outgoing, friendly manner despite struggles with mental health and substance abuse and for panhandling near a local gas station or dollar store.

No arrests have been made and the case remains open. Can anyone who knew Willie Mae, lived near Chatterton Road in 2005, or has information about that period contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office?