Rusty Steele, 40, of Lisbon, Ohio, was fatally shot outside a West Spruce Street residence on the evening of March 3, 2023. Steele had been visiting his girlfriend when someone knocked, saying their vehicle had broken down and asking for help. Steele went outside to start his car to provide a jump; at that moment Michael Blower, 31, of Salem, Ohio, approached and shot him in the chest. Steele exited his vehicle, collapsed in the street, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say Blower and Steele had argued earlier that evening over matters involving Blower’s wife, who is the mother of Steele’s children. Christopher Mills, 43, of Washingtonville, Ohio, is reported to have driven Blower to and from the scene and assisted in luring Steele outside. Blower later turned himself in and admitted to the shooting. Family and friends described Steele as a loving, caring person who often helped others; his teenage daughters were left without their father.