Sunday, May 30, 1999
Police following leads on Love
Family of slain businessman wants answers
BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Love
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Osterbrock
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The family of slain businessman Jim Osterbrock wants to make sure interest in finding Lance Love does not wane as time passes.
Mr. Love is wanted for questioning in connection with the May 13 homicide at Mr. Osterbrock's Liberty Hill home.
Citizens' tips led police to stake out a campsite in a heavily wooded area of Clifton on May 21, and to search Clifton Heights on May 18. A few days before that, Mr. Love had eluded police on a car chase and foot search in Clermont County.
“I certainly can't judge whether they should have caught him,” said Deerfield Township attorney Greg Utter, Mr. Osterbrock's cousin. “I'm sure the police are more frustrated than anybody is. And I have confidence they're going to continue to look for him in a dedicated and intense manner.”
Mostly, family members worry that as Mr. Osterbrock's murder recedes into the past and his story is replaced by fresher headlines, people will stop watching for Mr. Love, 32, who also uses the name Sequoia Johanson.
“Probably the greatest fear relating to Lance Love, or whoever might be the person who committed the crime, is that if he isn't caught in a short period of time, people in the community tend to forget,” Mr. Utter said Saturday.
“Even if the trail should become cold ... and even if it's a month or two months after the event, if they have any information they still need to let us know about it.”
Police are fielding frequent calls to the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip hot line.
“People see his face in the paper and on the news, and everybody thinks they've seen him everywhere,” said Cincinnati Homicide Detective Jim Engelhardt. “That's pretty much what we've been doing right now, is checking out Crime Stoppers tips.”
The 15 detectives, three sergeants and one lieutenant in the homicide unit have all spent time on the case, whenever they are not busy with other investigations, Det. Engelhardt said.
Mr. Osterbrock, 52, was vice president and general manager of packaging at Covington-based Xpedx paper distribution company. He lived in the Liberty Hill community of Cincinnati.
His slaying attracted a lot of media attention — which, in turn, leads to a high volume of anonymous calls to Crime Stoppers, 352-3040. Calls that lead to Mr. Love's apprehension could net tipsters a reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers, as well as $6,000 being offered by a private, anonymous party.
“Every call is welcome and every one is explored,” said Sgt. Dave Hall. “If one looks really good to me, I'll give it to (homicide detectives) immediately.”
Police have been criticized for their handling of the investigation, particularly in the wake of the May 14 Clermont County manhunt. Union Township officers spotted Mr. Love and began a car pursuit, but lost him in the woods near a farm where Mr. Love wrecked and abandoned Mr. Osterbrock's Yukon truck.
Mr. Love is described as a 5-foot-10, 170-pound muscular white man with short hair. He has tattoos on both arms, including images of a man holding a guitar, a German cross, barbed wire and a black panther. Police say he is familiar with downtown Cincinnati, parts of Clermont County, St. Bernard and the Over-the-Rhine and Northside neighborhoods.
As police continue their search, Mr. Osterbrock's family is coping with his loss. Mr. Utter said his cousin's friends and co-workers have been very supportive.
“I'm sure that anyone who's had a tragedy like this happen in their family knows that it takes a while for the numbness to wear off,” he said. “At this point, the numbness is turning into deep sadness with some anger — although we don't know exactly who to direct that at.”
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