Multiple families seek justice in unsolved murders
By Maya Lockett
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MANSFIELD, Ohio (WEWS) — It’s been nearly a year since Amanda Craft’s oldest son went missing, and the family spent days looking for 16-year-old Trentin Isaac.
“It was the sickest feeling kicking leaves over, hoping my son wasn’t laying underneath of them,” said Craft.
But the search would end when his body was discovered on November 15, more than 80 miles away from his Mansfield home, in Harrison County.
“His body was burned, and they wouldn’t let me see him because of how he looked and smell. I never had a chance to truly say goodbye,” said Craft.
Since then, the family has lived with many unanswered questions.
“Police have told me they have evidence; I don’t know exactly what evidence because they don’t share evidence with us. However, our detective has been amazing, as far as like calling me back, and the detective in Harrison County has also been amazing. I just feel like it is very timid here and if they don’t have a slam dunk case, they will not take it to the grand jury,” said Craft.
Mansfield Police say it is a complicated case because it involves two counties.
However, they do have people of interest and say prosecutors in both counties are working on figuring out possible charges.
But waiting for justice was not an option for the family. Michelle Isaac wanted to do more for her nephew and to help bring closure to her family, so she started organizing rallies. “It gave us an outlet and a chance to come together and lean on one another,” said Isaac.
A chance to honor Trentin, who they say was the best big brother, always laughing and known as the light of his mother’s life.
“He was so funny, he could make a stale-faced person smile and laugh in a second and he was amazing,” said Craft.
Eventually, they invited other Mansfield families who are also seeking justice, like Brandi Matthews, whose son, Joey Matthews, was shot seven times.
“Police say they will tell us they’ll get a hold of us when there’s something in the case that we need to know and that I call too much. I don’t understand because I’m a mother and I just want to know what happened to my child,” said Matthews.
Matthews says she has felt discouraged the last few years.
“It’s discouraging that there’s so many families that are seeking the same thing. You can’t find any peace, and you can’t get a night’s sleep. These are our kids and our teenage babies that we will never get back,” said Matthews.
Over the years, the cries for answers have grown, but so has the support.
Twelve pictures of Mansfield victims lay across Isaac’s dining room table, and together their families find comfort in each other.
“It gives me peace and it’s comforting that I’m not alone in this,” said Brittany Osterland.
Osterland still remembers the day she found her sister Kayla Osterland’s lifeless body.
“I was angry, because how could somebody do her like that? She was 75% decomposed,” said Osterland.
The cause of death was ruled undetermined by Richland County Coroner, and the last few years without answers have been difficult for Osterland.
“We were ride or dies and I just want to know what happened. I can’t put into words what that would mean for me,” said Osterland.
But until then, the families plan to keep fighting on November 15, they will unite for a justice rally in Mansfield.
“I think it would bring me just a bit of peace knowing that somebody has suffered the consequences for what they’ve done to my son. He deserves that and I’ll never get my son back, only thing that I can get for him is justice and I want it,” said Craft.
Isaac started a memorial page for murder victims in Mansfield, hoping to bring awareness and closure for families.
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