Toledo's latest homicide victim remembered for humor, kindness
“He was the life of the party.”
By Emily Tian / The Blade
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 21:34:18 GMT
You could hear Derlanis Holman before you saw him: when the sound of singing and rapping carried down the street, chances are it was Derlanis coming home.
It had been a week since Derlanis last came home, said his mother, Melissa Holman, before his body was identified Monday with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. He was 19.
Derlanis was “funny, caring — almost too caring,” said Ms. Holman, who described him as a “mama’s boy.” She had sensed that something had gone wrong when her worried calls went unanswered.
Mr. Holman had been reported missing for a week before first responders located a decomposing body in a grassy field between Pinewood and Woodland avenues. His death marks the 31st homicide in Toledo this year.
Mr. Holman lived together with his mother in central Toledo but grew up within walking distance of several other doting relatives, including his aunt and grandmother.
“He was the life of the party,” remembered his aunt, Kenya Cooke.
Mr. Holman enjoyed to rap and draw, and could be found playing basketball and football with his friends when the weather was warm. He had attended Summit Academy, where he received an education tailored for students with special needs and attention-deficit disorders.
Mr. Holman’s ADHD meant that he was “hyper and always ready to go,” said Ms. Holman, who said that he had been doing well at school.
The family is struggling to make sense of his violent death, which marks one of a string of reported shootings in the city this past week. “He wasn’t a bad kid,” said his aunt. “He had company every day. He was loved by everyone.”
A police investigation of his death continued Tuesday.
Melissa Holman holds up a photo of her son Derlanis Holman, whose body was found in a field in Central Toledo on Sunday.
A drawing by Derlanis Holman, whose body was found in a field in Central Toledo on Sunday, hangs up on the wall of his mother Melissa's house in Toledo.
A dreamcatcher made by Derlanis Holman, whose body was found in a field in Central Toledo on Sunday, hangs from the ceiling fan of his mother Melissa's house in Toledo.
Melissa Holman holds up a photo of her son Derlanis Holman, whose body was found in a field in Central Toledo on Sunday.