1979: Former Cleveland Indian Luscious "Luke" Easter Murdered

Luscious "Luke" Easter was a baseball player, playing with the St. Louis Titanium Giants and the Homestead Grays, both negro league teams before finding a spot on the Cleveland Indians in 1949. He was a power-hitter who performed well, and even though his major league career ended in 1954 due to injury and aging, he remained active in baseball and didn't retire completely until 1963, aged 48.

After he'd given up playing, and coaching, he returned to Euclid in 1964 where he eventually became chief union steward for TRW.

On March 29th, 1979, Some fifteen years later, as he went to the East 260th St. and Euclid Ave. Cleveland Trust Co. Bank after depositing roughly $35,000.00 in payroll checks, he was robbed at gunpoint by two men. Armed with not only .38 caliber pistols but also a shotgun, Easter was shot, fatally, above the heart by a shotgun blast.

He was taken to Euclid General hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 63 years old.

The two armed robbers, 31 year old Roderick Thomas and 32 year old Victor Pritchett, both of Cleveland, ran and got into a firefight with Cleveland police. Both were wounded in the shootout, however sustaining only minor injuries. They fired back on police.

There's a park in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Cleveland named after Luke, in memoriam. I've only ever heard it referred to as Woodland Hills Park.

Victor Pritchett got 15 years to life, and Roderick Thomas got life for aggravated murder, 7-28 years for aggravated robbery and attempted murder.

He is interred at Highland Park Cemetery, Highland Hills, Ohio.