Jeanette "Necky" Bartee was a lifelong resident of Akron, Ohio, known for her bright mind and dedication to her family. A graduate and honor student from Ellet High School, the 33-year-old African-American woman was a mother to three daughters: Betty Bartee, Charnette Johnson-Bartee, and Jasmine Johnson-Bartee. She was part of a large, close-knit family in the Akron community and is remembered in the obituaries of her late uncles as a cherished niece.
The morning of Friday, April 12, 2002, shattered her family’s world. Jeanette was discovered inside her home at 396 Wildwood Avenue in West Akron, having been fatally shot. Investigators from the Akron Police Department found no signs of a forced entry, leading them to believe that Jeanette likely knew her killer. The nature of her death was described as an "execution-style" slaying, suggesting a deliberate and targeted act of violence. Her mother, Angeline Bartee, and other family members were left reeling, searching for answers in the sudden, brutal loss of a daughter, mother, and sister.
On the very same day, Akron police were called to another homicide scene in a different part of West Akron. On Baughman Street, a man named Roy Addison, 39, was found shot to death. As detectives from the Akron Police Department delved into both cases, they soon realized the two murders were likely connected. Both Jeanette and Roy struggled with substance abuse, and investigators have long suspected their deaths were related to something they either witnessed or were involved in within the local drug scene.
Despite the suspected connection, the investigation into the two homicides has been fraught with challenges. In the years since 2002, detectives have struggled to find concrete leads or identify any specific suspects. The theory remains that Jeanette and Roy were targeted and silenced, but without witnesses coming forward, the case has grown cold. The lack of new information has been a source of profound and lasting pain for their families, who continue to hope for a breakthrough.
Jeanette's family has never given up their quest for justice. Her mother, known as "Big Angel," and her sister Bernadette have been pictured publicly over the years, their grief a quiet but constant reminder of the unresolved crime. Her daughters have grown up without their mother, their lives forever altered by the violence of that day. Funeral services for Jeanette were held on April 19, 2002, at Greater Bethel Baptist Church, and she was laid to rest at Glendale Cemetery. At the time, a fund was established for her three children.
As of September 2021, the murders of Jeanette Bartee and Roy Addison remain unsolved. The Akron Police Department and the Ohio Attorney General's Office continue to list Jeanette's case as an open, unsolved homicide, hoping that someone in the community with knowledge of the events of that day will finally come forward. Her family believes that there are people who know what happened and they plead for them to break their silence. Anyone with information regarding the death of Jeanette Bartee is encouraged to submit a tip to the Akron Police Department or the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
