John Pierce was murdered on May 1, 2002, in Dayton, Ohio. The case remains unsolved and is an open investigation led by the Dayton Police Department, which continues to seek tips from the public.

A separate but related legal thread involved James Elliot Pierce. He was indicted on charges including aggravated murder and aggravated burglary, found guilty in 2006, and sentenced to 51 years in prison. During an appeal he sought a new trial based on newly discovered evidence — testimony from a fellow inmate suggesting another person had been at the scene — but the Montgomery County Court found that this testimony largely overlapped existing testimony and was insufficient to overturn the conviction.

Key contested points in this case include conflicting or contested testimonies and questions about identification of the perpetrator. If anyone has information that could help clarify who killed John Pierce, please come forward to the Dayton Police Department.