Roger Smith Jr

A man if found fatally shot on a porch
Roger Leon Smith Jr., a 33-year-old Black man, was a father and a beloved family member whose life was abruptly cut short in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 8, 2017. He was known to his loved ones as a man who is deeply missed, with one friend later writing, "What i would give for one last talk one last hug one last kiss one last moment with you!!! I would give anything!!! Fly high my luv... I hate living without u!!!"

Born on April 5, 1984, Roger was survived by his daughter, Orishia Kelly; his father, Roger Leon Smith Sr.; his mother, Miriam Renee Smith; and his sisters, Jessica Hightower, Traci Alexander, Zanzy Lewis, and Lenee Henry. His extended family included great-aunts and a host of other relatives and friends who mourned his sudden passing. A funeral service was held for him on Friday, July 21, 2017, at Sommerville Funeral Services, followed by his interment at Glendale Cemetery in Akron.

The morning of Roger's death was quiet until police were called to the scene. At approximately 5:20 a.m., he was found on the porch of a residence at 35 Oakdale Avenue in Akron, Ohio. He had been fatally shot. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene. The house, a large colonial-style home built in 1899, sits in a residential area of West Akron, near the Highland Square neighborhood, an area known for its historic homes and tree-lined streets.

The year 2017 was a particularly violent one for the city. Akron recorded 42 homicides, the highest number in nearly four decades. Roger's death was one of many that troubled the community that year. The Akron Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into the shooting on Oakdale Avenue. Detectives processed the scene for evidence and sought information from potential witnesses, but details about what led to the shooting have never been released to the public.

In the years since Roger's murder, the investigation has grown cold. No suspects have ever been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made. The case remains an open and active investigation with the Akron Police Department. To keep the case in the public eye and generate new leads, Roger's story is featured in the Ohio Attorney General's Unsolved Homicides database. This initiative by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) aims to bring widespread visibility to cold cases, hoping that a new tip might provide the breakthrough needed to deliver justice for victims and a sense of closure for their families.

The lack of answers has left Roger's family and friends in a prolonged state of grief. The online guestbook for his obituary contains messages left years after his death, testaments to the lasting pain of his absence. "Missing u always... Gone but never forgotten!!! U would be so proud of me!!!" one message reads. Another person recalled a special memory, writing, "i remember when u got my name tatted on u i was so shocked and felt so special all I could do was cry cuz I never knew u loved me like that i miss u so much."

As of November 2026, the murder of Roger Smith Jr. remains unsolved. Authorities continue to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to submit a tip to the Akron Police Department or the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.