Jameela Hasan

To her family, Jameela Hasan was not a statistic or a name in a cold case file. "She doesn't just exist in a file on someone's desk," her mother, Ayesha Hasan, said years after her death. "She was a person, a mom, an aunt, a daughter.” Jameela, a 37-year-old Black woman, was a cherished member of her family whose life was violently cut short just before the holidays, leaving behind loved ones who continue to fight for answers.

On the evening of December 17, 2012, Jameela was found dead in her upstairs residence on the 9400 block of Manor Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. The discovery was horrific: she had been brutally stabbed to death. Her mother would later learn the devastating details, stating that Jameela had sustained between 11 and 15 stab wounds. The attack left a community in shock and marked the beginning of a long and painful search for justice that continues to this day. Jameela had not been reported missing; she was found in the perceived safety of her own home.

The Cleveland Police Department launched a homicide investigation, but the case quickly grew cold. No suspects were publicly identified, and no arrests were made. Over the years, Jameela's family has endured the frustration of a stalled investigation, with the case being passed between multiple detectives. "The first Cleveland homicide detective assigned to Jameela's case retired," Ayesha Hasan explained in 2018. "The 2nd detective was reassigned. Yet another detective was assigned in February." Her mother's persistent calls for updates and accountability have highlighted the immense challenges families face when a loved one's case goes unsolved.

Jameela's murder was not an isolated tragedy in the area. Her death was the first in a terrifying series of unsolved homicides involving women on Cleveland's East Side between 2012 and 2013. Within the next six months, the bodies of Christine Malone, Jazmine Trotter, and Ashley Leszyeski were all discovered within a two-mile stretch near East 93rd Street. While police officials have never officially linked the cases or confirmed the presence of a serial killer, they have not ruled it out, and the proximity and timing of the killings have fueled deep-seated fear and suspicion within the community.

This string of unsolved murders spurred community activists to action. In March 2018, groups including Women's March Cleveland held a rally and vigil at the intersection of East 93rd Street and Bessemer Avenue to remember Jameela, Christine, Jazmine, and Ashley, and to demand answers from law enforcement. The families of the victims have repeatedly pleaded with the public for any information that might help investigators. "Anything helps," said the sister of one victim. "Because one clue can lead to the other and solve the case."

More than a decade has passed, but the investigation into Jameela Hasan’s murder remains open and active within the Cleveland Police Department's Homicide Unit and its Homicide Review Task Force. Her mother's words reflect a promise kept through years of grief: "Every day when I wake up she is the first thought on my mind... In my heart I say every day to her I'm not going to stop." As of March 2023, police confirmed there were no new updates or leads in the case. The case remains a painful, unanswered question for a family and a city still waiting for justice.

Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County offers a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for Jameela Hasan's murder. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators.