Dayton, Ohio | January 1, 2025
The clock had barely ticked past midnight.
People were celebrating.
Hugging loved ones.
Making resolutions.
Looking forward to a new year.
But on the 1100 block of Dennison Avenue in Dayton, gunfire shattered the night.
A New Year’s Day Tragedy
At approximately 3:21 a.m. on January 1, 2025, a passing motorist noticed a vehicle sitting with its hazard lights flashing.
The car was riddled with bullet holes.
Inside were 23-year-old Taronn Pate and 22-year-old Toni Owensby.
The driver immediately called 911.
His voice shook as he told the dispatcher:
“The two individuals in there, ma’am… I ran away as fast as possible.”
When officers arrived, they found both young adults dead inside the vehicle.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office later identified the victims as Taronn Pate and Toni Owensby.
A Family’s Plea for Answers
Months later, their loved ones are still searching for answers.
Their sister reached out to The Vivid Faces of the Vanished, hoping their story would reach someone who knows what happened that New Year’s morning.
To this day, no suspects have been publicly identified.
No arrests have been announced.
Investigators have not released a motive.
Only two young lives cut short before the new year had a chance to begin.
Anyone with information regarding the murders of Taronn Pate and Toni Owensby is urged to contact the Dayton Police Department at 937-333-1232 or leave an anonymous tip with Miami Valley Crime Stoppers at 937-222-7867.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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