20-year-old mom found shot to death in park, Ohio cops say. ‘Whole life ahead of her’

A family is pleading for justice after police say a 20-year-old mother was found dead in an Ohio forest, according to local media.

The Cincinnati Police Department responded around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, “for a reported unresponsive person in the roadway” in Mt. Airy Forest, according to WCPO.

Police discovered the victim, Lanyah Dawson, had been shot and killed, WXIX reported.

Dawson was a 20-year-old mom to a 1-year-old daughter, family told Cincinnati.com.

“Lanyah meant a lot to us. She was my baby but she also was everybody’s baby too,” her mother, Nyresha Dawson, told Cincinnati.com. “She was the life of the party. She was very fun, outgoing. You could always call her and she would be there for you.”

Police have not released information about any possible suspects in the shooting. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Cincinnati police homicide unit at 513-352-3542.

Nyresha Dawson, who pleaded with WLWT for people to speak out on the shooting, told the station Lanyah Dawson’s daughter has been calling out for her since her mother’s death.

“She still had a whole life ahead of her,” Nyresha Dawson said of her daughter, WLWT reported.

Mt. Airy Forest, at nearly 1,500 acres, is the largest park in Cincinnati. The man-made forest features miles of hiking trails.

This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 6:44 AM with the headline "20-year-old mom found shot to death in park, Ohio cops say. ‘Whole life ahead of her’."