More than 27 years after Dayton Police Officer Kevin Brame was gunned down outside his estranged wife's home, the FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $15,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Brame was shot and killed on Nov. 1, 1999, outside a home on Cherry Drive after dropping off his children, and the case has never been solved.
A Father Shot Walking Back to His Car
Brame was off duty that night, according to Dayton Daily News, which reports he had just dropped off his two children at their mother's home and was walking back to his vehicle when he was attacked. He was shot with a shotgun and died in the driveway next to his Chevrolet Tracker, the paper reports. A previous News Center 7 report similarly described Brame as having been shot from behind while returning to his car after dropping his children at his estranged wife's house on Cherry Drive, according to WHIO TV.
Brame had become a Dayton police officer on June 17, 1993, and had served six years on the force at the time of his death, per the Dayton Daily News account. Dayton police have never publicly identified any suspects in the killing, though investigators said back in 2007 that they believed at least two people were involved in the crime, the paper notes.
FBI Renews the Push for Tips
The FBI says it is seeking information leading to the arrest of those involved, adding that Brame's family has waited too long for justice, according to WHIO TV. As part of that renewed push, WDTN reported in April 2024 that the FBI released a new wanted poster in hopes that someone comes forward with new information, and that investigators are continuing to review both previous and more recent tips and evidence in the case.
A listing on the FBI's own wanted page states the bureau is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect or suspects involved in Brame's murder, though that figure should be weighed against the broader reward history in the case. The Dayton Police Department and the FBI are working together to determine who killed Brame, per WHIO TV's reporting.
A Reward That Has Climbed for Years
The new federal offer builds on a local reward effort that has grown substantially over the past two years. The Dayton Daily News reported that a local reward fund of up to $100,000 was already in place as of 2024, and Miami Valley Crime Stoppers later added another $15,000, pushing the total reward to $130,000, according to Dayton 24/7 Now. That increase came around the 25th anniversary of Brame's death, which fell on Nov. 1, 2024, the outlet reported.
More than 27 years on, the case remains a painful open wound for Brame's family and for the department he served. News Center 7 says it will continue following the story as investigators work to finally bring an answer to a killing that has haunted Dayton for a generation.
