On April 4, 1977, Maida Ann Ridenour-Johnigan, 23, and Raymond Cruzado, 22, were found dead in the Lorain Grandview Motel on West Erie Avenue in Lorain, Ohio. The pair had been victims of an apparent double homicide. Their bodies were discovered by motel staff, and they were pronounced dead at the scene. Ridenour-Johnigan, also known as Maida Parker, and Cruzado were last seen alive on April 3, 1977, but were killed sometime later that night.
Both were found with injuries consistent with homicide, and the case remains unsolved.
The Lorain Police Department, in cooperation with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), continues to keep the case open and is actively seeking information from the public to help solve the crime. Ridenour-Johnigan, who was a Black woman, was described as being 5'3" tall, weighing 125 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Her companion, Cruzado, was a Hispanic male, aged 22, with red hair, who was also found deceased in the same motel room.
The authorities have kept this case active in hopes of new information coming to light that could lead to identifying the suspect or suspects responsible for the killings. Members of the community are encouraged to provide any information that might help solve this cold case, as even seemingly insignificant details could be crucial to the investigation. Anyone with information can submit a tip through the Ohio Attorney General’s Office or the Lorain Police Department.
