Case Files: Son asks for help 11 years after his father’s death

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It’s been more than a decade since Ramzi Ibraham lost his father, Al. Al Ibrahim was found dead inside of a house on Jermain in Toledo in 2011.

“Losing a parent to a homicide and knowing nothing about it, the reason. I’ve got so many questions why?” says Ibraham.

Ramzi was a teenager when his father died. At the time, there were plenty of unanswered questions and today he still wonders what happened in the moments before his father’s death and where the killer is now.

According to police, Ibrahim was found inside of a house on Jermain in January of 2011. At one point he was renting the property and it was his last known address. Detectives say the place was sparsely furnished and the utilities were shut off. People who showed up to do some maintenance on the property discovered Ibrahim inside.

Toledo Police cold case detective, William Goodlet, says at the time it was unclear how Ibrahim died. An autopsy showed it was complications from blunt force trauma and his death was then ruled a homicide.

“He was beat to death. It wasn’t a quick. I wish he had a heart attack or was shot or something. Being beat to death, that takes a lot. What was it over? Why did they have to kill him?,” says Ibraham.

Al Ibrahim worked for the Lucas County Sheriff, Toledo Police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Ramzi says his father was also a mechanic who worked on both cars and planes. In the early 2000s, Ramzi says his father injured his rotator cuff. That injury spiraled into drug addiction.

“He had been seeking help and there was evidence he was trying to turn things around,” says Detective Goodlet.

Ramzi says he lost touch with his father months before he was murdered and lives everyday wondering how things ended for the man he spent his early years admiring.

“I never got to say goodbye and tell him I love him or make him proud, ya know? I would give anything to hear him say he’s proud of me. I really wish I had the closure. It haunts me everyday, everyday just to wonder. The person that killed him just got away with it. No big deal, no repercussions, I don’t know how they even live with themselves,” says Ibraham.

If you have any information about the death of Al Ibrahim, contact Crimestoppers 419-255-1111. You can call or text this number with tips.

If you have a case that needs attention, contact casefiles@13abc.com.

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