The unsolved murder of Dayton police officer Kevin Brame

The Ohio Attorney General's website has over 2,000 images of murdered men and women who still need justice. In previous columns, I have discussed different people I have found on this site. Many of these cases have been long forgotten by the public and the media. Many have fallen by the wayside to make room for the latest unsolved homicides.

Among the more disturbing cases is case 211. It's the unsolved homicide of Dayton, Ohio police officer Kevin Brame. His photo shows a slight resemblance to Will Smith. In his police officer's cap, he presents an image of a man who is proud to be a cop.

It surprises me that no one has been brought to justice for Officer Brame's murder. On November 1, 1999, he was killed after leaving his estranged wife's home. An unknown coward shot Officer Brame in the back with a shotgun as Officer Brame walked to his vehicle. Officer Brame died over 20 years ago and no arrests have been made. The Dayton police continue to receive tips regarding the case. However, many of these are false leads.

I wanted to know more about Officer Brame. What kind of a person was he? I discovered he was a military veteran and a loving father.

From 1987 to 1995, he served in the Air Force Reserves. He graduated from the Dayton Police Academy on June 17, 1993, and became a member of the Dayton Police Department. It was imperative for him to be a reliable officer and make a difference to Dayton's residents. The bike patrol was his favorite department assignment since it allowed him to interact with the community while getting plenty of exercise.

Despite their marriage in 1994, Kevin and Carla were estranged at the time of his death. His two sons, Dominique, age 5, and Antonio, age 8, survived him.

Kevin's life ended on his father's birthday. Kevin had a busy day. After working the night before, he had to attend a court appearance the next morning. Following court, Carla called him and said the boys wanted to see him. Kevin didn't want to miss the chance to spend time with them. He picked them up and took them to dinner after shopping for a new video game. The three of them then went to his mother's house and spent the evening with his family. Kevin left shortly after 8:30 to return his sons to their mother. After hooking up the new video game for his sons, he left her house, and walked to his vehicle.

Moments later, an unknown killer shot Kevin in the back with a shotgun. Kevin had no opportunity to defend himself and died instantly. Upon hearing the gunshot, a neighbor rushed to the scene. Her eyes were drawn to Officer Kevin Brame’s lifeless body. On that November evening, Officer Brame's law enforcement career and making new memories with his sons ended tragically.

According to Kevin’s mother Rosemary Brame, “Kevin was a pretty good athlete and he loved being able to patrol on the bike and be closer to the people he encountered.” She added, "He was concerned about the overall safety of the community, but also about the individual.”

Kevin died a horrific death after having a memorable evening with his family. According to his death certificate, he died at 8:54 p.m. In 2003, the case was assigned to Dayton's Cold Case Unit. I contacted Kevin's mother for a possible future interview for the Catch my Killer podcast. It appears that she may be willing to do so at a later time. I hope she lives long enough to see her son's killer brought to justice.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.