Devon Gregory “VonDutch” Rheubottom, an 18-year-old Black male, was killed in Columbus, Ohio, on May 18, 2008. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s unsolved-homicide records, he was found behind 1290 E. 18th Avenue suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. His death was classified as a homicide and assigned to the Columbus Police Department for investigation.
The shooting unfolded amid a burst of gunfire in the South Linden neighborhood near East 18th and Cleveland avenues.
Residents called 911 as several people were reportedly running through the area firing weapons at one another. By the time officers converged on the neighborhood, several homes had been struck by bullets. Witnesses estimated that roughly two dozen shots had been fired, and investigators recovered spent cartridge casings indicating that multiple firearms had been used. An AK-47-style rifle was also found behind a tree. Rheubottom was discovered dead in an alley after the gunfire subsided.
Columbus homicide investigators publicly described the episode as a gunbattle involving numerous participants. Sgt. Eric Pilya of the homicide squad said investigators believed the participants were gang members and emphasized that more than one firearm had been involved. The killing occurred during a period when police were confronting a series of shootings they believed had connections to gang activity and retaliatory violence in several Columbus neighborhoods. Authorities did not publicly identify which individual fired the fatal shot that struck Rheubottom.
The violence surrounding the case continued to cast a shadow over Rheubottom’s family as they prepared to bury him. During visitation at the funeral home several days later, a fight broke out and police cleared the building. The planned service was canceled at the funeral home and moved to the graveside while officers worked to prevent further confrontations. Contemporary reporting noted that police were using substantial resources to monitor funerals associated with the broader surge of gang violence occurring at the time.
No arrest was announced in Rheubottom’s killing in the immediate aftermath. Police said at the time that none of the recent shootings being investigated as part of that wave of violence had resulted in arrests, and investigators faced difficulty obtaining cooperation from witnesses. More importantly, the Ohio Attorney General continues to list Rheubottom’s homicide as unsolved. The state cold-case record does not name a suspect, report an arrest, or identify anyone who has been charged, tried, or convicted for his death. The case remains associated with Columbus Police, and authorities continue to seek information that could identify the person responsible for firing the fatal shot.
