On August 24, 1979, 17-year-old Mary Leonard and her boyfriend, Ricky Beard, went missing after going on a date to the Astro Drive-In in Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, Ohio. The couple had been dating for about four months, and they had planned a seemingly normal evening out, watching the popular film "The Amityville Horror." After the movie, they stopped at a nearby bowling alley to chat with friends before returning to the Leonard home.
A neighbor later heard them talking quietly on the front steps, but by the next morning, both were missing.
Their disappearance remained a mystery for several years until 1985, when the skeletal remains of Mary and Ricky were discovered by a utility crew digging a trench on private property near a wooded area on Riverview Road. The site, located near a national park and accessed via a narrow gravel road often used by couples, had concealed their bodies for nearly six years. Both teenagers had been shot and stabbed, still wearing the same clothes from the night they vanished. Ricky’s car was found earlier in 1979, abandoned in an unused garage in the 600 block of West Portage Trail with visible bullet holes, but there were no immediate leads on their whereabouts until their remains were found.
The investigation into their deaths has faced numerous challenges, and despite extensive efforts by law enforcement, no clear suspect has ever been identified. Various theories have been proposed over the years, ranging from a crime of passion involving someone who was jealous of the couple to potential involvement by local motorcycle gangs known to frequent the area. Another theory considered serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards, whose criminal activities included murders in the Akron area. However, despite the possible connection, Edwards denied involvement in Mary and Ricky's deaths. Another theory pointed to an "angry homeowner" who owned the land where their bodies were found and who allegedly confessed to the crime in a state of agitation during the trench digging, though this was never fully pursued by authorities.
To this day, the murders of Mary Leonard and Ricky Beard remain unsolved, and their families continue to seek justice. The Akron Police Department and local investigators have kept the case open, hoping that new evidence or witness testimonies might eventually lead to the resolution of this tragic cold case.
