Matthew Myatt

Two men are shot to death in a residence
Matthew Myatt, a 30-year-old Black man, was known by neighbors in his Cincinnati, Ohio, community as a friendly presence who was beloved by local children. He lived with his father, Michael Myatt, in the Madisonville neighborhood, where their lives were violently cut short in the home they shared.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, March 11, 2018, Matthew and his 57-year-old father, Michael, were found shot to death inside their residence on the 5800 block of Adelphi Street. Cincinnati Police Department District 2 officers responded to a report of a shooting at the home at approximately 12:47 a.m. When first responders arrived, they discovered both men had already succumbed to their injuries. A relative was the one who found them. Police later confirmed both father and son had been shot in the head.

The evening before, Matthew and his father had reportedly attended a birthday party and returned home sometime before the shooting occurred. A neighbor later told reporters she heard gunshots between 8:30 and 9 p.m. on Saturday night. Alarmed, she sent a message to Matthew, whom she knew as Matt, but she never received a reply. She described him as friendly to everyone and said her son and other neighborhood children adored him. "How do you explain that to little ones when they're looking for him?" she asked. "They didn't deserve it."

The investigation into the double homicide was launched by the Cincinnati Police Department’s Homicide Unit. At the scene, police stated that the deaths did not appear to be a murder-suicide. Investigators were looking into a black SUV found at the scene, which was parked in a way that suggested it might have been involved in the incident. Despite interviewing witnesses who were reportedly inside the home when the shootings happened, police have not publicly identified any suspects or a motive in the years since the killings.

Michael Myatt was remembered as a man who was loved by everybody. He had worked for many years at the juvenile detention center and had recently retired, not even a full year before he was killed. Neighbors recalled his friendly manner and expressed shock that such a violent crime could happen on their quiet residential street. The family's pain was palpable. "Our family is strong," a sister, Beverly Myatt, said. "And we will remain strong because this should never have happened."

One year after the slayings, with the case still unsolved, family members gathered for a vigil on the front steps of the Adelphi Street home. They lit candles, released balloons, and played a recording of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." It was a small, solemn gathering fueled by the hope that someone would come forward with information. A niece, Nicole Myatt, expressed the family's enduring grief and their need for closure. "We know the hurt is going to stay around for a long time," she said, "but we want our hearts settled knowing that we know who did this, that they're caught." The family vowed to return to the spot each year until the case is solved.

As of March 2019, the Cincinnati Police Department had no new leads in the investigation. The double homicide of Matthew and Michael Myatt remains unsolved, and their family continues to wait for justice. Authorities urge anyone with information about the case to contact the Cincinnati Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Section at 513-352-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward for their information.