Knam murder still unsolved
Apr. 27—JEFFERSON — The 2006 murder of Gail Susan Knam has not yet been solved and the case is still open as investigators hope further information can lead to the person, or people, responsible, said Ashtabula County Sheriff Office Lt. Sean Ward.
Many murder cases are difficult to solve and the Knam case certainly fits into that category.
Ward said the case has been a challenge for investigators since Knam, 43, was found by a passerby in late September of 2006 along LaBounty Road in Ashtabula Township.
The Cuyahoga County Coroner classified the case as a homicide with the death coming from blunt force trauma to the head and neck, according to then-Ashtabula County Coroner's investigator Richard Mongell.
Mongell said there was cocaine in Knam's blood, but not enough to kill her.
Ward said Knam was covered in blood.
A major challenge in the case was there was not a lot of evidence when the body was found. He said DNA evidence was just starting to become more of a standard procedure and there was little available evidence to collect.
"It appears she was murdered elsewhere and dropped on LaBounty Road. The evidence was scarce," he said.
Ward said there were several leads over the years, but there wasn't enough evidence to make an arrest.
Another challenge was Knam had been involved in drug use and connected to a lot of people while moving from place to place without a specific place of residence, Ward said.
"There were a number of people listed as potential suspects," he said.
Ward said 75 people were interviewed or connected to people around Knam.
"What made this difficult from the onset was the parties involved. ... There was an element of drug use in all involved," he said.
He said some of the people interviewed in the case have died. Ward said many of the people did not want to talk to investigators because of their drug use and didn't trust other people in general.
Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office officials said at the time Knam's body was found fully clothed and she did not appear to be the victim of a traffic fatality.
In a 2011 Star Beacon story, Knam's sister, Joanne Osborne, said Knam was a 1981 graduate of Jefferson Area High School and grew up in Lenox Township with three sisters and a brother.
Ward said anyone with information about the case can contact the Sheriff's Office at 440-576-9046.
