Rodney Curlee Jr., of Bedford Heights, Ohio, fatally shot his 23-year-old brother Tymeir Hale-Dial outside their mother’s Cleveland home on October 3, 2023, evaded capture for more than six weeks, and was sentenced on April 30, 2024, to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, and aggravated menacing.1Cleveland 19 News. Sentencing for Bedford Heights Man Guilty of Killing Brother
The Shooting on East 127th Street
Hale-Dial was helping his mother, Pinkie Hale, move into a new home on East 127th Street in Cleveland’s Forest Hills neighborhood when he and Curlee, then 19, got into a verbal argument. Curlee pulled out a firearm and shot his brother multiple times in the upper back and head.2U.S. Marshals Service. Man Accused of Killing His Brother Arrested by U.S. Marshals
Pinkie Hale, holding her granddaughter at the time, said she watched the entire incident. She described the argument as neither loud nor physical. “He begged him to stop, he begged him over and over again, then he stood over him and shot him some more,” she said.3Cleveland 19 News. Cleveland Mother Claims She Witnessed Her Son Gun Down His Brother A woman at the scene reported that Curlee also pointed his gun at her but did not fire, leading her to believe he had run out of ammunition. Hale-Dial was taken to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.4Cleveland.com. Federal Agents Arrest Teen Accused of Shooting, Killing His Brother
The Six-Week Manhunt
A warrant charging Curlee with aggravated murder was issued the day after the shooting.2U.S. Marshals Service. Man Accused of Killing His Brother Arrested by U.S. Marshals His mother appealed to him publicly to surrender: “Turn yourself in. Don’t hurt anybody else. Don’t hurt yourself in the process, just turn yourself in.”3Cleveland 19 News. Cleveland Mother Claims She Witnessed Her Son Gun Down His Brother
On November 16, 2023, members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, operating under the U.S. Marshals Service, tracked Curlee to a home in Cleveland’s Euclid-Green neighborhood. He was found hiding in the basement and initially refused to come out. After a K-9 officer announced that a dog would be sent in, he surrendered and was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail.2U.S. Marshals Service. Man Accused of Killing His Brother Arrested by U.S. Marshals
Guilty Plea and 23-Year Sentence
The case moved from Cleveland Municipal Court to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, where it was heard by Judge Margaret Russo. In April 2024, Curlee pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, and aggravated menacing. Three other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.5Cleveland 19 News. Bedford Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Brother
On April 30, 2024, Judge Russo sentenced Curlee, then 20, to 23 years in prison.1Cleveland 19 News. Sentencing for Bedford Heights Man Guilty of Killing Brother
Tymeir Hale-Dial
Tymeir Hale-Dial was born on January 4, 2000, and was 23 when he died. He was the father of a young daughter and worked at Citizens Academy East, a school in Cleveland, where students and staff described him as warm and well-respected. His father, Marc Dial, called him a “family man” and said “everybody loved him.” Pinkie Hale, who was holding his infant daughter as he was shot, told reporters: “I didn’t know if I should grab the shooter, or if I should grab the baby, or if I should grab Tymeir. But I was willing to die. I’m never going to be the same without him.”3Cleveland 19 News. Cleveland Mother Claims She Witnessed Her Son Gun Down His Brother