Man Pleads Guilty to 2016 Akron Cold Case Murder

Rondell Harris, a 36-year-old inmate already serving a lengthy prison sentence for rape and related crimes, pleaded guilty mid-trial to the 2016 murder of Damon Harris Jr. outside an Akron barbershop. Rondell Harris had gone to the barbershop intending to commit a robbery, but instead targeted Damon Harris Jr., lured him to his vehicle, and fatally shot him in the back with a shotgun when he tried to flee. The case remained unsolved for years until Harris confessed while in custody on unrelated charges in 2022, providing details only the perpetrator would know and sending multiple confession letters to authorities. Prosecutors and Damon Harris Jr.'s family expressed relief that justice was finally served after nearly a decade. Harris pleaded guilty to charges of murder, aggravated robbery, and possessing weapons under disability. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 30.