There are many unanswered questions surrounding the homicide of an Akron mother. Forty-eight-year-old Leah Zweidinger was killed outside a Perry Township home near Massillon on New Year's Day.
The suspect, Lee Greenwalt, who lives at the home where Zweidinger died, is charged with her death.
Leah Zweidinger's son, Micah, described his mother as an incredibly strong woman. She dealt with heartache years ago when her 7-year-old daughter died after a seizure. Micah said his mom was also a friend to many and worked as a technician for eye doctors.
"She was the closest person I had... and I have to go on without her," Micah Zweidinger said.
He's now left heartbroken, trying to understand how and why his mom was killed.
"I definitely do want to know. I want to know everything," he said.
The calls for help came just minutes after midnight on New Year's Day when neighbors noticed a commotion in the front yard of a home on Briardale Drive NW.
"She's screaming, 'Help me, He's killing me,'" a neighbor said in the 911 recording.
Perry Township Police Chief Bryan Taylor said officers found Leah Zweidinger lying in the front yard and was unresponsive.
Greenwalt was arrested at the scene.
"Based on what we do know, which I can't go much into, there's no ongoing threat to the community. This was an isolated incident," Taylor said.
Greenwalt is now facing several charges, including murder. He is being held in the Stark County Jail.
According to the coroner, there will not be an official ruling on the cause of death until the autopsy and toxicology results are completed— which could take weeks or even months.
"We have our reasons for making the arrest, but I can't go into a lot. It's currently under investigation. Suffice to say, he was charged with murder," Taylor said.
Micah Zweidinger said his mother met Greenwalt about a year ago, and the two dated, but things changed.
"He wasn't really treating her right so she told him, 'You know, I'm done,'" Zweidinger said. "They had fallen out for sure."
As the devasted family waits for answers, they've set up a fund to help with the unexpected funeral expenses and as a way to honor Leah Zweidinger's legacy.
"I'm gonna carry my mother's name. I'm gonna carry her legacy, and I'm gonna move forward, so no matter what, she still lives on," Micah Zweidinger said.
