A Cuyahoga County jury on May 1 convicted Brian Myers of murder, felonious assault and having weapons while under disability in the killing of 39-year-old Melissa Millspaugh, whose body was found behind a dumpster in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood. Myers is set to be sentenced on May 6 in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, closing a months-long case that began with the discovery of Millspaugh's body last October.
Jurors returned their verdict after a trial that began April 27, according to Cleveland 19 News. The outlet reports that Myers was found guilty on all three counts, and that sentencing is scheduled for May 6 in the same court.
Police were first called around 1:45 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2025, for a reported shooting in the 12700 block of Buckeye Road, where officers found Millspaugh unresponsive behind a dumpster, according to Cleveland 13 News. Dispatch audio obtained by the station classified the incident as a "Code 1" for felonious assault, and EMS later pronounced Millspaugh dead at the scene.
Within hours, detectives had identified a suspect and a man was taken into custody later that same day, Call & Post reported at the time. As the investigation unfolded, family members remembered Millspaugh as "kind, giving, and full of life" while the neighborhood waited for answers.
What's next
Myers is expected to return to Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas on May 6 for formal sentencing, where the judge will weigh victim impact statements and arguments from both sides, per Cleveland 19 News. Prosecutors and defense attorneys may submit written sentencing memoranda before the hearing, and the court will set Myers's prison term at that time.
Legal context
Among the counts, Myers was convicted of "having weapons while under disability," which Ohio law treats as a third-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code §2923.13. With murder and felonious assault also on the verdict sheet, the sentence will be guided by statutory ranges and by the judge's assessment of any aggravating or mitigating factors presented at the hearing.
