On the night before Thanksgiving in November 1934, 40-year-old Coburn Von Gunten, an executive at the McNeil Machine & Engineering Company in Youngstown, Ohio, was returning home from an office party. As he approached his vehicle, he was confronted by Leroy Keith, a recently paroled convict with a history of violent crimes. Keith, accompanied by 27-year-old ex-convict Louis Johnson and 16-year-old Joseph Reinthaler, had been seeking a getaway vehicle for planned robberies in the Youngstown and
Akron areas. When Von Gunten refused to surrender his car, Keith shot him twice. Despite his injuries, Von Gunten managed to start the car's engine, prompting Keith to shoot him a third time. Before Keith could inflict further harm, a passing police cruiser intervened, leading to a brief exchange of gunfire. Keith and his accomplices fled the scene, but Reinthaler was apprehended shortly thereafter. Von Gunten was transported to Summa St. Thomas Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries approximately an hour and a half later.
Following Reinthaler's arrest, he identified his accomplices as Leroy Keith and Louis Johnson. Authorities issued warrants for both men. The following day, Johnson surrendered to the Youngstown police. He was questioned about his involvement in a recent double homicide at a Uniontown grocery store but denied any connection, providing an alibi that was later corroborated. Ballistics tests confirmed that the weapon used in Von Gunten's murder was not linked to the Uniontown killings. Johnson and Reinthaler were subsequently charged with Von Gunten's murder. Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder but avoided the death penalty after the jury recommended mercy. Reinthaler, being a juvenile, was sentenced to an indeterminate term at the Ohio Reform School.
The manhunt for Keith continued until December 19, 1934, when he was involved in a robbery in New York City. During the attempted robbery of a taxi driver named David Suro, Keith shot Suro before engaging in a gunfight with pursuing officers. Keith was eventually apprehended after being shot multiple times by the police. Both Keith and Suro were transported to Fordham Hospital, where Suro later died from his injuries. Keith survived his wounds and was taken into custody. Detectives from Akron traveled to New York to question him about Von Gunten's murder, but Keith refused to cooperate. In recognition of Suro's bravery, the reward for Keith's capture was awarded to Suro's widow.
This tragic series of events highlights the dangers posed by individuals with violent criminal histories and underscores the bravery of both citizens and law enforcement officers in confronting such threats.
