Antonyo Travon Powell was a 29-year-old Black man from Mansfield, Ohio. Known to his loved ones as "Wonnie" or "Wonnie James," he was a father of three who was remembered for his love of family, playing cards, and making everyone around him laugh.
On the night of Saturday, October 22, 2022, just after 8:30 p.m., gunshot detectors and a citizen’s call alerted Mansfield police to a shooting in the area of Florence Avenue. Officers arrived to find Mr.
Powell suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, where he was pronounced dead the following morning, on October 23, 2022.
The Mansfield Police Department immediately began a homicide investigation. Their work led them to a suspect, 40-year-old Nathan J. Olsen of Mansfield. On January 10, 2023, Olsen was arrested in South Carolina in a joint effort with the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.
Olsen was charged with aggravated murder and several other related offenses. During his trial, prosecutors presented testimony from Olsen's own cousin, who told the court Olsen had expressed a desire to kill Mr. Powell. The cousin stated that Olsen believed Mr. Powell had burglarized his home a week before the shooting and had made threats in Facebook Messenger exchanges and phone calls. While the cousin initially thought Olsen was only venting his anger, he eventually turned ammunition over to the police, which helped lead to the arrest.
The case against Nathan Olsen is ongoing.
