UPDATE: Akron Police are reporting that the suspect, Chester Walker, was found dead in Santa Monica, California, from a suspected suicide. 

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Akron Police are looking for the suspect in a murder along Manchester Road in the city Wednesday morning.  

According to the report, when officers arrived at the scene of the shooting around 11:30 Wednesday morning, they found a woman laying unresponsive in the garage of the home in the 1700 block of Manchester Road. APD says the victim, later identified as 52-year-old Twyla Pettiford, suffered several gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on the scene. 

Detectives later identified the suspected shooter as 53-year-old Chester "Billy" Walker (pictured), a black male, 5'10" tall, weighing about 205 pounds.

A murder warrant has been issued for Walker, who is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to call the Akron Police Detectives Bureau at 330.375.2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330.434.COPS. You can also anonymously text "TIPSCO" to 274-637. 

:17 - Producer Tony will not be at work Friday because he is getting married! He talked on the show about planning a wedding during a pandemic and despite social distancing, they plan to have a good time. 6:19 - Senator Sherrod Brown called into the program to touch on a few subjects, from his Justice in Policing Act inside the Senate to extending unemployment and praising Governor Mike DeWine’s leadership. 13:08 - One of the busiest areas during the pandemic and lockdown have been the food banks and dealing with the long lines. Dan Flowers from the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank came on to talk about feeding the families in need and thanking those who’ve made monetary contributions. 18:04 - Brands are beginning to take long, hard looks at the history of their names and logos, and Quaker Oats did so by doing away with Aunt Jemima maples syrup. Is Cream of Wheat next? What about the Dixie Chicks? And how about pro sports teams such as the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians?

Part 1

:17 - Akron mayor Dan Horrigan called into the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the most important issues in the country and how they're affecting the Akron area. The mayor first talked about the Coronavirus, then he talked about the death of 18-year-old Nakia Crawford and the recent police reform legislation, both locally in Akron and nationally.

11:13 - Who are Antifa? What is the Boogaloo? Dr. Karl Kaltenthaler from the Bliss Institute at the University of Akron came on to talk about the protests these last few weeks, who may be behind the violent riots and looting, and how to parse out which information is politically biased or not.

Part 2

:17 - Cases are starting to pile up in southern states like Texas and Florida. Should these areas that are getting hit hard require all their citizens to wear masks?

5:45 - Are those aforementioned southern states experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, or is this still the first wave? It's been a while since University of Akron microbiologist Dr. Richard Londraville has been on the show, and he touched on what he's learned about the virus since his last visit.

13:02 - Now that Ohio has reopened much of the state, the farming industry is making a slow rebound. Ty Higgins from the Ohio Farm Bureau talked about the packing plants and how meat is returning to the shelves. He also mentioned the country fairs will be back, albeit at a scaled-down level, and how we'll see a crop surplus come fall.

19:03 - Pro sports are still up in the air. Major League Baseball is in a crisis between its players, the owners, and the commissioner, and the NFL's annual Hall of Fame game may be in jeopardy. And now Kyrie Irving wants to start his own basketball league?

(Akron Marathon) The Akron Marathon Charitable Corporation’s Board of Directors and staff have announced the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay, and related race weekend events, including the Health & Fitness Expo and the Kids Fun Run scheduled for Sept. 25-26, will be held virtually due to COVID-19—and with an experience you’d expect from the Akron Marathon, including a “Blue Line Box” race day kit.

The Akron Marathon staff conducted countless scenarios while working with the Summit County Public Health, City of Akron leaders, and race partners to determine any possible way to host its 18th annual event, and after months of conversation, the event was deemed too great a risk for runners and citizens.

“The Akron Marathon excels at logistics, and we always want to cover every possible angle for our runners, this year especially. We explored hosting a physically distanced race which would lower our field to a maximum of 3,800 runners and it would take nearly two hours to get through the start line. These types of modifications, while easy for us to execute, would tax the City of Akron in extending road closures, plus the cost of newly identified items post-COVID including masks and hand washing stations, not only would our nonprofit be losing money—we’d be risking the wellbeing of our runners,” states Anne Bitong, president & CEO of the Akron Marathon Charitable Corporation.

With every scenario explored, the Akron Marathon team and Board would ask questions like: Is it safe? Can we host the same top-notch experience that we always do? Are we okay with offering a different experience? Does it make financial sense? And every time, an answer would come back negative.

“From the beginning, our top priority has been the health and safety of our runners,” shares Bitong. “We’re in the business of creating a world-class experience for our participants, and even though it will be virtual this year, our team is working to ensure that the runners’ experience will still be one to remember. Over the last several months, we’ve heard your stories, seen your tags on social media, and see this community still running their Blue Line. We can’t begin to tell you how much you’ve inspired us, and with this virtual race, we hope to give you a little of that inspiration back to you.”

Runners who have already registered for the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, Team Relay or Kids Fun Run will have the option to keep their registration and participate virtually, donate their registration fee, or defer their entry to a future race. Race organizers will be reaching out to registered runners to communicate available options. Runners who have not yet registered can register for the virtual experience through June 30.

While the details of the Blue Line Box are still being confirmed, signature race elements like a runner’s bib and Akron Marathon swag, as well as a virtual Expo experience, and virtual Finisher’s Festival are all being lined up by the team, with full support from its presenting partners, including the City of Akron, Akron Children’s Hospital, FirstEnergy, Summa Health, SummaCare and Signet.

“The Akron Marathon has a rich and vibrant history as one of Akron’s premier community events,” states Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “As Akron’s Mayor and an avid cyclist, the opportunity to serve as a lead bike for the marathon’s world-class athletes is a highlight of my year. While I share the community’s disappointment, I applaud the decision to put the wellbeing of participants first. Nothing can erase the Blue Line from our streets, or our hearts – and while we cannot share the experience together this year, I am confident the virtual event will be a memorable, inspiring alternative for our community.”

“As title sponsor, FirstEnergy supports the decision to run The Akron Marathon virtually to protect the safety of everyone involved,” said Charles E. Jones, chief executive officer of FirstEnergy. “We are committed to maintaining our support and offering virtual cheers for participants this year, and our employees look forward to lining the streets in 2021 to support the runners.” 

Additionally, runners looking to go the extra mile can become a Children’s Champion or make a donation to support the patient care programs at Akron Children’s Hospital. Since 2016, Akron Children’s Hospital has served as the title beneficiary of the Akron Children's Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series.

“The FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay is a community-wide celebration each Sept., and Akron Children’s Hospital looks forward to safely joining the runners, sponsors, volunteers and the community along the Blue Line in 2021," said Akron Children’s chief strategy officer Shawn Lyden.

To register for the virtual FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon & Team Relay, Kids Fun Run or to become a Children’s Champion, please visit at AkronMarathon.org.