Seeking Justice Releasing Three New Episodes of its Investigative Series Highlighting the Suspicious Death of Whistleblower Dawn Pasela

  • Latest episodes reveal new evidence about Dawn Pasela’s suspicious death, as she was set to testify about misconduct by federal and state prosecutors in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Exclusive interview with Detective John Morgan (retired) who investigated Dawn’s death, review of expert pathologist Peter Mazari’s report on Dawn’s suspicious death and Attorney Kim Corral’s discussion concerning recent court orders compelling production of key evidence
  • Episodes airing on April 10, April 17 and April 24 and are co-sponsored by FreeTonyViola.com and JusticeForDawn.com
  • To watch previous episodes or the entire investigative series, please visit www.SeekingJusticeMedia.com

MEDIA CONTACT: 

[email protected] or Tony Viola at 330-998-3290

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CLEVELAND, OHIO – March 3, 2026 – FreeTonyViola.com, along with JusticeForDawn.com and Seeking Justice, jointly announced today that three new episodes of Seeking Justice’s Investigative Series reviewing the suspicious death of Dawn Pasela will air April 10, 17 and 24.  Episodes focus on recent favorable court rulings and new evidence that the death of whistleblower Dawn Pasela was the result of foul play.  To watch the series trailer, or prior episodes, which are available now, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingJusticeShow/streams.

BACKGROUND

Dawn Pasela served as the Office Manager for a multi-jurisdictional Mortgage Fraud Task Force and was found dead under suspicious circumstances.  Dawn 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, according to recent reporting by NBC News, critical investigative steps 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 but never investigated.  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.  All told, numerous questions remain unanswered about exactly how she died, https://www.nbc4i.com/news/unsolved-ohio/unsolved-ohio-family-calls-for-new-investigation-into-dawn-paselas-death/

In 2023, Attorney Kim Corral began advocating for a new investigation into what happened to Dawn and sought a review of Dawn’s file by investigators with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department.  The Sheriff 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.

The Cold Case Unit of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office concluded the case should be re-examined, but local officials in Parma, Ohio blocked that inquiry.  At the same time, Attorney Kim Corral commissioned an independent assessment from an expert pathologist, Dr. Peter Mazari, who stated that Dawn’s death should be classified as “undetermined,” not a simple accidental alcohol overdose. Dr. Mazari’s report concluded the evidence at the scene is consistent with potential foul play -- not only because of investigative omissions, but also because of physical findings (e.g., items at the scene, possible signs of a struggle, and “food” in her stomach that casts doubt on oral ingestion in her last hours) that were never properly addressed.

Now, for the first time ever, the homicide investigator, Detective John Morgan, who investigated Dawn’s death, speaks publicly about the case and shares his perspective that, despite recommendations the case be reopened, his superiors refused.

STATEMENT FROM SEEKING JUSTICE SERIES CREATORS ANDREA CIPRIANO, DANA POLL AND LEXI KAKIS

"Two years ago, we set out on a mission to tell Dawn Pasela’s story through Seeking Justice. As part of that mission, we promised to share unfolding developments. 

We are elated to be returning with three updates that we always hoped for – a fresh expert pathology opinion from Dr. Peter Mazari, the investigative perspective of Detective John Morgan, a retired 25-year veteran of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, and a legal update from Attorney Kim Corral. 

We are thrilled to have continued local media coverage to help keep eyes on her case until a reinvestigation can finally be conducted. The team at Seeking Justice remains steadfast in our belief that it is never too late to uncover the truth."

STATEMENT FROM ATTORNEY KIM CORRAL

"Our investigative agencies should be accountable to the people.  In 2023, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office identified serious deficiencies in the Parma Police Department's investigation of the death of Dawn Pasela. More importantly, they identified necessary investigative steps that should be taken now.  Parma must refer this investigation to an outside law enforcement agency. We will not allow this injustice to continue. I stand proudly with Dawn's family because what they are asking for is reasonable and there is no legitimate purpose not to fairly investigate Dawn’s death."

To watch Kim’s remarks at a 2025 rally seeking Justice for Dawn, please visit:  https://youtu.be/tV8Yjxf8XGU?si=LI7d7-dTE29X3KmM

STATEMENTS FROM THE PASELA FAMILY

Mrs. Karen Pasela, Dawn’s Mother, said, “We went to the Parma Police over three years ago in good faith and provided them with a great deal of evidence, including details about the theft of Dawn’s computer from her apartment, autopsy photos showing bruising on her neck and her broken necklace, details of conversations about Dawn’s ‘murder’ and proof that Dan Kasaris destroyed his own computer on the very the day Dawn died.  The Parma Police promised to turn this file over to Ohio BCI’s Cold Case Unit, but then gave us one excuse after another as to why that wasn’t done, leaving us to investigate this case on our own.  We hope that more people will come forward and share what they know.”

Dawn’s Father, Mr. Edward Pasela, added:  “The first thing Parma Police told us was that this case was above their pay grade and was too political because it involved prosecutors.  If they felt that way, we hoped they would step aside and refer this case to another agency who could take a hard look at the facts, but the city refuses, leaving us with a cruel choice:   either forget about our daughter or continue to seek a proper investigation into all that’s occurred. And we are going to do all we can to hold anyone who hurt our daughter accountable.”

STATEMENT FROM TONY VIOLA

“I am so grateful to Kim Corral for her tireless advocacy and for the team at Seeking Justice for focusing attention on Dawn’s case.  We’re all doing our best to seek Justice for Dawn and to honor her legacy.   And our investigative team is continuing to pursue new leads, so anyone who has any information about what happened to Dawn should contact us or submit an anonymous tip through our website.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE IS AVAILABLE

To subscribe to the YouTube Channel or to watch any episodes, please visit:  https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingJusticeShow

To learn more about Dawn, or to review the County Sheriff’s directives to the Parma Police, or to read Dr. Peter Mazari’s report in full, or to review other source documents, kindly visit www.JusticeForDawn.com.

To learn more the criminal prosecution of Tony Viola, or to review court rulings in cases where Tony Viola is represented by Yale Law School and Attorney Kim Corral, please visit www.FreeTonyViola.com.

ABOUT FREETONYVIOLA.COM:  FreeTonyViola.com’s mission is to shine a bright spotlight on the ‘win at all costs’ tactics, prosecutorial overreach and misconduct the United States Department of Justice employs when prosecuting American citizens.  Tony Viola 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 cases. He lost the federal case but was exonerated at a subsequent state trial.  The website, originally created to solicit leads for Tony’s investigative team, has evolved into a tool to keep the public informed about critical developments in his case, and to share information that could potentially assist others who have been wrongfully ensnared by our criminal justice system.  For additional information, visit http://www.FreeTonyViola.com, friend us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tony.viola.9212, or follow us on X at @TonyViola.

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