CINCINNATI — Family and friends of murder victim Ronald Rousseau are asking the community to help them find his killer.
On Aug. 20, 2017, Rousseau, 37 and a father of three, was murdered in his driveway on the 2700 block of McKinley Ave. in Cincinnati's Westwood neighborhood.
The case is unsolved.
"I can't understand why I can't get justice for my son," Ronald's mother Twannette Rousseau said during a vigil Sunday night.
Ms. Rousseau, her family and friends held a vigil on Sunday near the place where someone shot and killed her son.
She pleaded for someone to come forward and provide information that could help police solve the case.
"They could help me by letting me know who did this to my son," Ms. Rousseau said.
The loved ones of other murder victims came to the vigil to support the Rousseau family.
Margaret Daniels was there.
Her grandson Marcus was killed 11 years ago.
His case is also unsolved.
Peggy Harris stood next to Ms. Rousseau as she spoke to reporters.
Harris' son John was killed in 2007.
It took 13 1/2 years to file charges in his case.
Two men were convicted and sentenced to prison for killing John Harris.
"We need to come together as a community and solve our problems," Ms. Harris said. "Police can't do it all without the help of the community."
Ronald Rousseau's case is one of nearly 2,700 unsolved homicides in Ohio, according to the Ohio Attorney General's website.
Some of those cases are decades old.
But Ms. Rousseau believes Ronald's killer will be found and punished.
She said her friend, Ms. Harris, has shown her that persistence and faith can help families push forward until they can get justice for their loved ones.
"It's hard, but I keep going because I know that he would want me to," Ms. Rousseau said.
After sharing their message and a prayer for peace and justice, the Rousseau family and their supporters released dozens of balloons.
The balloons seemed to bring joy to many of Ronald Rousseau's relatives, especially his mother, who said they released them to Ronald.
"It feels good," Ms. Rousseau said as she looked at the balloons get higher and higher.
It seemed like the emotional ending for their vigil, but there was more work to do.
Ms. Harris grabbed a stack of fliers with the faces of more than 200 murder victims — including Ronald Rousseau — and details of where and when they were killed.
She moved quickly and quietly as she knocked on doors and stuffed the fliers into mailboxes on the street where Rousseau was murdered.
"There are hundreds of people on here whose families need answers," Ms. Harris said as she walked up a dozen steps to another mailbox. "This is what we have to do."
If you know information about the murder of Ronald Rousseau or other unsolved homicides, call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.
