Carletta Roberts, aged 21, was found dead on December 14, 1991, in Dayton, Ohio. Her body was discovered at the rear of 320 Kinnard Avenue, and she had been beaten to death. The crime was part of a tragic string of homicides that took place in the Dayton area during the early 1990s, which targeted several women under similar circumstances. Carletta was one of three women found dead within a short period; the other victims included Tina Marie Ivery, whose body was found three days after Roberts', and Sonya Snowden, who was also discovered around the same time. Both women, like Roberts, had been beaten, suggesting that the crimes might have been linked.
Authorities began investigating these cases as part of a larger examination into multiple unsolved prostitute homicides from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Investigators intended to interview a former police officer, Tommy Swint, as a suspect in connection with these homicides, including Carletta Roberts'. Swint was previously questioned about other similar unsolved cases, but he tragically committed suicide just before law enforcement could continue the investigation further. His death left many unanswered questions regarding his involvement, if any, in these homicides, including that of Carletta Roberts.
The Dayton Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, has kept Carletta's case open as part of their ongoing efforts to solve these cold cases. The Ohio Attorney General's office continues to request information from the public that might help in solving this case. Carletta's unsolved homicide remains a painful reminder of a period marked by a series of violent deaths in the community, which have yet to see full resolution.
