On December 7, 2024, at about 12:28 a.m., Cincinnati police found 20-year-old Lanyah Dawson unresponsive in the roadway on Trail Ridge Road, a secluded stretch inside Mt. Airy Forest. She was suffering from a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered eight 9mm shell casings and blood at the location, which indicates she was likely shot there rather than moved after death.

Dawson, an Evanston resident, was a mother to a 1-year-old and an amateur rapper. Family and friends described her as loving and said the loss has been devastating for her young daughter. No arrests or suspects have been identified and the Cincinnati Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 513-352-3542.

Did anyone in the area around Mt. Airy Forest on the night of December 6–7 see or hear anything that might help investigators?