The first episode ofUnsolved Mysteriesvolume 5 explores the inexplicable case of the Park Bench Murders, which not only remains unsolved, but has no real suspects attached to it.Unsolved Mysteriesvolume 5 is the fifth installment in Netflix’s rebootof the original paranormal and true crime series of the same name. Over the years,Unsolved Mysteries’episodeshave tackled stories of murder, disappearance, and the supernatural which still have no conclusive answers to them. The Park Bench Murders is only one case out of many that are still in desperate need of solving.
The Park Bench Murderswere a set of homicides that occurred in 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Two friends, Kate Brown and Carnell Sledge, were sitting on a bench at the Rocky River Reservation when Carnell was suddenly shot twice in the back of the head. Though Kate attempted to escape via the water’s edge, she was also shot in the back of the head. BothKate and Carnell were killed, and were found soon afterby a nearby couple. With no witnesses and no leads, the Park Bench Murders remain completely unsolved.
Kate & Carnell’s Clean Records Mean There Are No Leads
Throughout theUnsolved Mysteriescase, numerous individuals are considered to be suspects behind the Park Bench Murders. However, each of these suspects proves themselves innocent with their alibis. For example, a man working in his truck nearby was considered to be a suspect, yet through phone records, police were able to prove that the man was truly working throughout the entire crime, and could not have committed it.Kate’s abusive ex-boyfriend was also cleared, as he was at a barber shop. Carnell’s ex-girlfriend and another one of Kate’s former boyfriends were also proven innocent, despite a potential motive.
The struggle to find a viable suspect in the Park Bench Murders also has to do with Kate and Carnell.
The struggle to find a viable suspect in the Park Bench Murders also has to do with Kate and Carnell. Neither person had any dark secrets or ties to illegal organizations. Because their records are completely clean, it makes it hard for investigators to track down who or what was at the source of their killings. Without any suspicious history,it is hard to see why Kate and Carnell would be targeted for murder.This leads to the second-biggest theory around the murders, which is that it wasn’t pre-meditated at all.
The Park Bench Murders Could Have Been A Random Crime
Why Kate & Carnell Might Have Been Killed
One theory about the Park Bench Murders is that it was entirely random. Because authorities cannot track down a person with a motive or connection to the crime,it seems possible that a complete stranger carried out the killings of Kate and Carnell. There is a chance that a passerby saw the pair in the park and suddenly decided to commit the crime.Unsolved Mysteriesalso posited that perhaps it was a gang-related crime, wherein a newcomer was initiated into the gang by committing a murder.
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Another popular theory is that it was a hate crime.Because Carnell was African American and Kate was white, the episode theorizes that a prejudiced individual or a member of a hate group saw the pair together and killed thembecause of their skin color. Apparently, Cleveland has a high rate of organizations that commit hate crimes such as these. However, becauseUnsolved Mysteries’Park Bench Murders remain unsolved, there is no way of knowing at this time who killed Kate Brown and Carnell Sledge.
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries (2020) is a revival of the classic documentary series, exploring various unresolved cases involving disappearances, shocking events, and unexplainable occurrences. The series offers a combination of reenactments, interviews, and archival footage, inviting viewers to contribute any information they might have regarding the featured mysteries, aiming to bring closure to long-standing questions.
