Man Indicted on Three Cases That Include Memorial Day Double Murder, Robbing Co-Worker, and Sexual Assault of Child
8/25/2020
CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that a grand jury has indicted Jamell Gaines, 35, on charges for murdering a 31-year-old man and 17-year-old boy on Memorial Day. He was also indicted on charges for robbing a 26-year-old co-worker at gunpoint and sexually assaulting a 6-year-old child.
“The increased levels of violence that we have seen this year continue to haunt our community,” said Prosecutor O’Malley. “I urge all individuals to please, put down the guns and stop this senseless violence.”
Between January and March 2020, Gaines sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl. He was indicted on three counts of Gross Sexual Imposition.
On May 25, 2020, Gaines shot the adult victim multiple times on the front porch of his West 85th Street residence near Franklin Boulevard in Cleveland and ran away. Shortly after, Gaines shot the teenage victim who was stopped at a traffic light near West 80th Street and Detroit Avenue. Gaines approached his car, forced himself inside, shot the victim, dragged his body out of the car, and fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. Officers with the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) and Emergency Medical Services responded to both scenes and transported the victims to a nearby hospital where both victims were pronounced deceased. He was indicted on the following charges:
- Two counts of Aggravated Murder
- Two counts of Murder
- Two counts of Felonious Assault
- One count of Aggravated Robbery
- One count of Discharge Of Firearm On Or Near Prohibited Premises
- Two counts of Having Weapons Under Disability
On June 5, 2020, Gaines demanded money from his co-worker and threatened to kill him and his father while brandishing a gun. The victim drove Gaines to a nearby gas station and withdrew money from an ATM. He was indicted on the following charges:
- One count of Aggravated Robbery
- Two counts of Robbery
- One count of Abduction
- Two counts of Having Weapons Under Disability
- One count of Aggravated Menacing
CDP’s Homicide Unit investigated and connected Gaines to the crimes. He was arrested on August 17 and transported to the Cuyahoga County Jail where he remains held on a $5,000,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on these three cases at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on Friday, August 28 at 8:30 a.m.