Retired Cuyahoga County Sheriff Detective John Morgan Set to Confront Parma Safety Director Bob Coury about False Statements concerning the Suspicious Death of Dawn Pasela

 

  • Detective John Morgan will speak at the May 18, 2026 Parma City Council Meeting about his investigation of Dawn’s death, and his findings that the case was mishandled and that Parma made “no attempt” to investigate the suspicious death of Dawn Pasela
  • Parma Safety Director Bob Coury has falsely told the media there is “no factual basis to reopen Medical Examiner’s investigation,” but Dr. Joseph Felo at the Medical Examiner’s Office said “the medical examiner never investigated Dawn’s death.  It’s the job of the police to interview witnesses and collect evidence from the scene.”
  • Senior Assistant Ohio Attorney General Dan Kasaris, who ordered Dawn on an illegal undercover operation and destroyed his computer the day Dawn died, is trying to prevent Detective Morgan from speaking out publicly about the city’s inexplicable actions in Dawn’s case

Media Contact:

Tony Viola

[email protected]

(330) 998-3290

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cleveland, Ohio – May 5, 2026 – FreeTonyViola.com and JusticeForDawn.com jointly announced today that retired Cuyahoga County Sheriff Detective John Morgan will be addressing the Parma City Council Meeting on Monday, May 18 during public comments to correct false statements by Parma Safety Director Bob Coury about the city’s actions following the suspicious death of Dawn Pasela.

BACKGROUND

Dawn Pasela served as the Office Manager for a multi-jurisdictional Mortgage Fraud Task Force and was found dead under suspicious circumstances as she was set to testify about misconduct committed by Prosecutors Dan Kasaris and Mark Bennett, including illegal recordings of defense trial preparation sessions and the suppression of exculpatory evidence impacting over 1,000 task force cases. For more than a decade, Dawn’s death was officially ruled a result of accidental acute alcohol intoxication. However, a review by the County Sheriff identified several critical investigative steps that were never taken: three cell phones found in her apartment weren’t collected, surveillance footage and potential witnesses were never pursued, and Dawn’s computer was missing.  In addition, Dawn’s family never received any of her possessions, and was told by the Medical Examiner’s Office they were not allowed to see Dawn’s body. 

PARMA POLICE LIED TO THE PASELA FAMILY, WHILE SAFETY DIRECTOR BOB COURY MADE FALSE STATEMENTS TO THE MEDIA

After years of questions about the cause of Dawn’s death, Detective John Morgan headed up a review of the case by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, which concluded that the investigation by the Parma Police Department was deeply flawed and that key procedures were not followed.  New findings included that a window in the apartment was wide open, suggesting an assailant may have left through the window; the heat in the apartment was cranked up to accelerate rigor mortis, an outgoing call from one of Dawn’s phones was made after the time she was purported to have died, autopsy photos reportedly show bruising on her neck and a broken necklace — suggesting a struggle took place that caused physical trauma. Investigators and witnesses claim that when police and officers arrived, no ambulance was called; instead, a mortuary service was summoned, among other irregular findings that were never pursued.

In response to these findings, Captain Daniel Ciryak lied to the Pasela family, falsely promising them that he would refer Dawn’s case to the Cold Case unit of the Ohio Attorney General’s office.  And the City’s Safety Director, Bob Coury, stated that there was no reason to reopen Dawn’s case following the County Medical Examiner’s investigation – but Dr. Joseph Felo at the Medical Examiner’s Office stated that the Medical Examiner never investigated Dawn’s death – that was a responsibility of the police.

In March of 2026, the former Parma Police Chief Joe Bobak, who was in communication with Prosecutor Dan Kasaris about Dawn’s death, was indicted and convicted of destroying police computers, case # 26-crb-00327.

“We are grateful that Detective Morgan is willing to address Parma City Council,” said Tony Viola, who was exonerated at a second criminal trial using evidence provided by Dawn Pasela.  “And we will never cease demanding that prosecutors Mark Bennett and Dan Kasaris are held accountable for their misconduct, which caused Dawn’s death, as well as hundreds of wrongful convictions.”

To watch previous public comments in Parma City Council about Dawn’s case, please visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1XKh--55Ws

To learn more about Detective John Morgan’s background, please visit: 

https://www.jlmorgansolutionsllc.com

To learn more about the suspicious death of Dawn Pasela, please visit:

www.JusticeForDawn.com

ABOUT FREETONYVIOLA.COM:  FreeTonyViola.com is an independent public-interest website dedicated to examining issues related to prosecutorial practices, due process, and accountability within the criminal justice system. The site documents the legal history and ongoing advocacy efforts surrounding the case of Tony Viola, who was investigated by the Cuyahoga County Mortgage Fraud Task Force — a multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of state, local, and federal agencies — and prosecuted in parallel federal and state proceedings.

Following his federal conviction, Mr. Viola was later acquitted in a subsequent state court trial involving related allegations. FreeTonyViola.com was originally created to gather information and leads relevant to Mr. Viola’s legal matters and has since evolved into a broader informational platform that publishes case updates, court filings, and commentary concerning criminal justice issues, investigative practices, and post-conviction advocacy.  For additional information, please visit:

http://www.FreeTonyViola.com

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