By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -Community activists and immediate and other family members of 22-year- old Alishah Pointer (pictured), whose lifeless body was found Tuesday in an abandoned home in East Cleveland, a neighboring Black and impoverished suburb of Cleveland, will host a vigil at 4:30 pm on Fri., Nov 12 to remember Pointer and to demand justice for the young Black woman and her family. (Call activist Art McKoy at (216) 253-4070 for more information on the vigil).
The vigil will be held at 14500 Savannah Avenue in East Cleveland, which is the burned out home where Pointer's body was discovered earlier this week.
"We will stand with the family members for justice for Alishah and we need everybody at today's vigil in East Cleveland, said longtime East Cleveland activist Art McKoy of Black on Black Crime, who will lead the vigil and added that women's groups like Imperial Avenue Women Coalition and Brickhouse Wellness Center will also attend at the vigil and are also upset over the gruesome murder.
Four suspects, including Nathaniel Poke, 32-year-old Brittany Smith of Cleveland, and a 17-year-old, have been arrested and are in custody in connection with the gruesome murder
Police are still searching for Hakeem Ali Shomo and Anthony Bryant, 18, and both of Cleveland.
East Cleveland Police Chief Scott Gardner told reporters that a group of suspects lured Pointer out of her home last week, kidnapped her, took her to several different locations where she was tortured her, and then viciously murdered her.
Chief Gardner said a group of suspects lured Pointer out of her home last week, took her to several different locations, tortured, and then shot and killed her.
Suspects thought Pointer had information about a suspect involved in another murder that happened Nov 2 in Cleveland and they tortured her to were try to force her to talk, tough police say she knew nothing about the Cleveland murder.
Police say Pointer was dating a man that suspects thought were responsible for murdering a family member on friend and were trying to get her to give information on her boyfriend's whereabouts.
Pointer's family reported her missing from North Randall on Nov 4
Pointer’s aunt, Kathryn R. Pointer, told reporters that her niece " always had a helping spirit and she wanted to always provide all kinds of acts of kindness, whether it be for a child, an adult, or the elderly."
Alishah worked as a caregiver and was also helping her twin sister, who is 8-months pregnant, police said.
East Cleveland police are asking anyone with information to contact East Cleveland detectives at 216-451-1234, the Cleveland FBI at 1-877-FBI-OHIO, or Cuyahoga County Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463.
Clevelandurbannews.com and-Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
