U.S. Marshals and local police are in the middle of a multi-city manhunt for a man wanted in a Columbus homicide, after a brief encounter at a Strongsville Sheetz led investigators to a store manager found dead inside, according to authorities. The case now has suburban Strongsville tied to a separate killing in Columbus, with multiple agencies racing to track the suspect without putting the public in harm’s way.
As reported by WKYC, Strongsville police say they discovered the body of a Sheetz manager inside the store on July 5, 2024, and later arrested a person after investigators linked the scene to another homicide case. WKYC identified the man now being sought by U.S. Marshals as Lezleon Virjon Evans and reported that Columbus detectives have charged him in a separate Columbus killing.
Medical examiner, scene probe
Strongsville police said the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has been called in to determine the manager's cause of death while investigators continue to process the store and piece together a timeline. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office outlines its responsibilities as handling suspicious or unexplained deaths and performing autopsies as needed.
Columbus connection and multiagency search
Columbus police have charged Evans with murder in an unrelated Columbus homicide, and federal marshals are helping track him down, according to WKYC. Investigators say the multiagency search is focused on two goals: confirming whether the same suspect is tied to both crime scenes and arresting him without escalating the danger to nearby communities.
What authorities are asking
Officials are urging anyone with information to contact Strongsville police or Columbus detectives and to steer clear of anyone they think might be the suspect. Nearby businesses and residents have been asked to review their surveillance footage and share anything that could help narrow the search with law enforcement.
Legal context
Evans faces a murder charge in Columbus and will have to answer to those allegations in court if he is found and arrested. Police have not released additional details about a possible motive or how they believe the Strongsville death and the Columbus case may be linked.
