Colleen Jo Stamper, a 19-year-old woman from Toledo, Ohio, tragically passed away on January 11, 2018. She was born on September 28, 1998, to Steven Stamper and Rosa Smith. Colleen was a 2016 graduate of Woodward High School, where she was an active member of the National Honor Society and participated in volleyball, basketball, and softball. She was also the Homecoming Queen in 2015. Colleen worked in the YMCA TPS afterschool program and as an STNA for Otterbein Rehab.
At the time of her death, she was a nursing student at Owens Community College.
Colleen's death was part of a double homicide that occurred in north Toledo. She and her boyfriend, 20-year-old Santiago Rease, were both shot and killed on the night of January 11, 2018. Police investigations revealed that both victims had at least one gunshot wound and were pronounced dead at the scene. The incident was initially investigated as a possible robbery situation.
In April 2018, two men, Ricky Thompson, 19, and Sidney Slater, 27, were charged with aggravated murder in connection with the double homicide. A Lucas County grand jury indicted them for the murders of Rease and Stamper. Both Thompson and Slater were also charged with aggravated burglary and other related charges. They were held in the Lucas County Jail while awaiting trial.
The tragic loss of Colleen Jo Stamper and Santiago Rease brought attention to the issue of gun violence in Toledo. Police Chief George Kral and Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz discussed implementing programs to address and prevent such violence in the community. The case remains a poignant reminder of the impact of senseless criminal activity on families and communities.
