Lexx Zaveir Meeks, the man arrested and charged with the murder of Kalyn Moore, has been criticized for smiling in his booking photo.
Moore's body was found on December 6 in a field between Terrace and Euclid avenues, just south of Hastings Avenue, according to East Cleveland Police. Officials were contacted by a dogwalker around 9.30 a.m.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said that Moore, 28, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head.
After Meeks smiled during his booking photo, the East Cleveland Police posted it to their Facebook page and condemned his facial expression.
The post read: "This is a booking photo of Lexx Zaveir Meeks. You would think Mr. Meeks just won a free trip to Disneyland.
"Instead, however, Mr Meeks was charged with the murder of Kalyn Moore, which her body was found on December 6th at Hawley Park.
"I can only hope that Mr. Meeks remembers his pose for court.
"We can only give our condolences to the Moore family. We hope to bring her family justice."
Those commenting on the post criticized Meeks while offering condolences to Moore's family. Some people did question why the East Cleveland Police Department chose to publicize the picture where Moore's family could see it.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the East Cleveland Police Department at 216-451-1234.
Newsweek has contacted the East Cleveland Police Department for comment.
Cuyahoga County has been given a C+ grade by website Crime Grade. This means the rate of crime is about the same as the average US county.
The rate of crime in Cuyahoga County is 36.20 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People who live in Cuyahoga County generally consider the southwest part of the county to be the safest.
Your chance of being a victim of crime in Cuyahoga County may be as high as 1 in 10 in the north neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 55 in the southwest part of the county.
For the specific crime of murder, Cuyahoga County has received an F grade. This means the rate of murder is much higher than the average US county.
The rate of murder in Cuyahoga County is 0.14 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People who live in Cuyahoga County generally consider the southwest part of the county to be the safest for this type of crime.
Your chance of being a victim of murder in Cuyahoga County may be as high as 1 in 2,308 in the northeast neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 32,322 in the southwest part of the county.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Gerrard Kaonga is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter and is based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on U.S. ... Read more
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