Melissa Ann Millspaugh, a 39-year-old woman from Cleveland, was found dead on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, behind a dumpster off Buckeye Road near East 128th Street in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood. Officers had been dispatched around 1:45 p.m. after reports of a woman shot; she was pronounced dead at the scene. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner later identified her and ruled the death a homicide by gunshot.
Obituary notices published in the days that followed confirmed her name and the October 7 date of death.
Within hours, detectives identified Brian Myers, 48, as the suspect. He was arrested later that same day and charged with aggravated murder. A judge set his bond at $750,000 during an initial appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 17, 2025. Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive, and investigators have not detailed the nature of any relationship between Myers and Millspaugh.
Early accounts described witnesses seeing a man and a woman walk behind the dumpster before only the man reemerged, and dispatch audio captured the urgency of the response, classifying the call as a “Code 1” felonious assault. Community tributes and memorial posts appeared online in the aftermath, noting the shock at the brazen daytime killing and documenting the rapid arrest in the case.
Funeral arrangements were subsequently announced by local funeral homes in Cleveland, reflecting the swift turn from investigation to mourning as family and friends prepared services in mid-October. As of the latest reporting, Myers remained in custody on the aggravated murder charge while the investigation continued.
