Leon Osborne

A deep sense of loss remains for the family of Leon Osborne, a 29-year-old African-American man whose life was cut short by gunfire on a Cincinnati sidewalk more than a decade ago. His death is a cold case, a lingering question for a family that continues to remember him long after his passing. Though years have gone by, the memory of Leon is preserved by his loved ones, including his extended family who have mourned other losses in the years since his death.

The night of Wednesday, November 13, 2013, was the last of Leon’s life. Just before midnight, around 11:50 p.m., Cincinnati Police officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Winneste Avenue in the Winton Hills neighborhood. There, on a sidewalk behind a residence, they found Leon. He had been shot, and by the time first responders arrived, he had already succumbed to his injuries. One report tragically noted that he had been shot in the head.

The initial investigation by the Cincinnati Police Department’s Homicide Unit yielded few immediate answers. In the hours and days following the discovery, investigators canvassed the area and spoke with potential witnesses, but no suspect information was released to the public. The trail quickly went cold, leaving detectives with an unsolved murder and a family searching for justice. No arrests were ever made, and no persons of interest were publicly identified.

Winton Hills, a neighborhood in the northern part of the city, has faced challenges with violence over the years. The streets and apartment complexes have been the scene of other tragic events, leaving residents with a persistent sense of unease. Leon's murder was one of several homicides that year that shook the community, contributing to the statistics of urban gun violence that plague many American cities.

In the years since Leon's death, his case has remained open but inactive. It is now listed among the unsolved homicides being tracked by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). This statewide database serves as a public reminder of cases that have yet to be closed, in the hope that new technology or a person with long-held information might finally provide a breakthrough. For investigators, the goal is to bring a resolution to these cases, no matter how much time has passed.

For Leon Osborne’s family, the lack of answers has been a heavy burden. His name was mentioned in the 2025 obituary for his uncle, Joseph Darnell Osborne III, a U.S. Navy veteran, who was noted to have been met in heaven by several family members, including his nephew, Leon. This small mention is a testament to a family that has not forgotten him and continues to carry his memory.

As of November 2026, the murder of Leon Osborne is still unsolved. The Cincinnati Police Department asks that anyone with information regarding this homicide, no matter how insignificant it may seem, come forward. Tips can be directed to the Criminal Investigation Section at 352-3542. The hope remains that someone, somewhere, holds the key to bringing closure to Leon's loved ones and finally securing justice in his name.