Jimmie Patterson

Jimmie Tushon Patterson, a 23-year-old Black man, was celebrating New Year's Eve with family and friends when his life was cut short in the first homicide of 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born on June 22, 1985, Jimmie was a beloved nephew whose violent death left his family with a wound that has never healed. His aunt, Mildred Patterson, described the pain years later: "It's so hard. It goes so deep within you, and it cuts you deep." For his family, the loss was life-altering, a grief compounded by the fact that his killer has never been brought to justice.

The celebration was in full swing as 2008 turned into 2009. Jimmie was at a large party attended by nearly 400 people. The event was held in the Queensgate neighborhood, though sources vary on the exact location, with some describing it as a hotel and police records placing it at 800 West Eighth Street. At approximately 1:00 a.m. on January 1, 2009, amid the New Year’s festivities, gunfire erupted. Cincinnati Police were called to the scene for a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Jimmie Patterson suffering from gunshot wounds.

Tragically, Jimmie died at the party, in the arms of one of his aunts who was working as a bartender at the event. His aunt, La-Tanya McClure, later recounted the devastating aftermath. "When you lose a loved one to gun violence, you never find any closure," she said. The trauma of that night rippled through their family, contributing to immense suffering. McClure shared the heartbreaking detail that her sister, in whose arms Jimmie died, grieved herself to death and passed away just two years later.

The Cincinnati Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Despite the hundreds of people present at the party, no suspects were publicly identified. The case quickly went cold, a source of immense frustration for both law enforcement and Jimmie's family. The sheer number of potential witnesses made the silence surrounding the killer's identity all the more painful. "What makes it worse is, there were nearly 400 others at the same party and nobody knows who shot and killed him," McClure said. "More people know than don't know."

In the years that followed, Jimmie's family has refused to let his memory fade or to give up the fight for answers. They have become advocates for other families of unsolved homicide victims. La-Tanya McClure has worked with the organization U Can Speak For Me, which publicizes the faces of Cincinnati's unsolved murder victims on posters and flyers in the hope of generating new leads. The group was founded by Hope Dudley, who also lost her son to violence. Jimmie's case is also featured on the Ohio Attorney General's Unsolved Homicides website.

A funeral service for Jimmie was held on Saturday, January 10, 2009, at Jerriel Baptist Church, followed by his burial at Vine Street Hill Cemetery. His family continues to plead for anyone with information to break their silence. "Somebody knows something and if it was your loved one, you'd want the same thing," McClure stated in a 2018 interview. The pain of not knowing who is responsible for Jimmie's death remains a heavy burden.

As of June 2024, more than 15 years after Jimmie Patterson was killed, his homicide remains unsolved. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been named. The Cincinnati Police Department's investigation is ongoing, and they continue to seek information from the public. Jimmie's family holds onto the hope that a conversation might be triggered, that a witness will finally come forward and provide the key to resolving the case and bringing them a measure of peace.

A reward may be available for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information about the murder of Jimmie Patterson is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040. Callers can remain anonymous.