The Brother Who Died a Hero: Who Killed Tony Swain Jr.?
Akron, Ohio — September 6, 2005
The morning started like so many others.
Backpacks on. Feet moving fast. Two siblings walking to school, running a little behind schedule but still together.
Tony Swain Jr. was only 10 years old.
To the people who loved him, he was “LT.”
On September 6, 2005, Tony was walking to Glover Elementary School with his 6-year-old sister, Charlique.
It was Charlique’s birthday.
Before the morning was over, Tony would give his little sister something no birthday gift could ever equal.
He would save her life.
Tony Saw the Car Coming
Around 7:45 a.m., Tony and Charlique reached the intersection of Hammel Street and Lovers Lane.
A crossing guard signaled for traffic to stop so the children could cross.
One driver did not stop.
As the vehicle approached, Tony realized what was about to happen.
In a split second, the 10-year-old pushed his little sister out of the vehicle’s path.
The car struck Tony instead.
He died in the street.
The driver kept going.
“He Is the Hero”
Charlique survived because of what her brother did that morning.
The memory of those final seconds with Tony followed her into adulthood.
She later described exactly what his sacrifice meant to her:
“If it wasn’t for him, it could’ve been me. It might’ve been me. So he is the hero.”
Tony was only a child himself.
Yet when he saw his little sister in danger, his instinct was to protect her.
The Driver Has Never Been Identified
Investigators have spent years trying to identify the person who struck Tony and fled.
The vehicle believed to have been involved was described as a red or maroon Mercury Cougar or Ford Thunderbird, with a possible model year between 1989 and 1995.
But the driver has never been identified or publicly held accountable.
More than 20 years have passed since Tony was killed.
Charlique survived and grew up because her big brother pushed her out of harm’s way.
Tony never got that same chance.
He was a 10-year-old boy walking to elementary school who died protecting his 6-year-old sister.
Anyone with information regarding the hit-and-run death of Tony Swain Jr. is asked to contact the Akron Police Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2TIP, or Summit County Crime Stoppers at 330-434-COPS.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished