Hershawna Rias

Hershawna Rias was a 17-year-old Black girl from Parma, Ohio, who was just seven weeks away from her high school graduation. Her family described her as a sweet, smart, and funny young woman who was outgoing and loved to help people. A senior at Parma High School, Hershawna planned to become a nurse. Her mother said she would not stop fighting for her daughter, and her sister remembered her kindness and contributions.

On April 6, 2021, Hershawna was reported missing. Two days later, on the morning of April 8, a park worker in Cleveland made a tragic discovery. Hershawna’s body was found in a field in Martin Luther King Jr. Park, located in the city's Glenville neighborhood near East 107th Street and Elk Avenue. The discovery was made around 11:40 a.m. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner later determined that she had died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The investigation into Hershawna's death led to the arrests of two individuals. Esperanza Lugo, an 18-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder. He was held on a $100,000 bond and appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court for his arraignment. A second suspect, 21-year-old Dacee Fisher, was also later charged with aggravated murder in connection with the fatal shooting.

Hershawna’s killing drew attention from community activists, including the Imperial Women Coalition, who called for swift action and highlighted what they described as a pattern of unsolved murders of young Black women and girls in Cleveland. Following the arrests, the case against the two accused individuals began to move through the court system.