Loved ones remembered Larretta Allison at a Kent gathering before police announced that Pierre Wade had been arrested in her death.
KENT, Ohio — Family and friends who gathered to remember 36-year-old Larretta Allison after she was found shot to death in Stow received a major development in the case days later: Police arrested her boyfriend and charged him with murder.
Dozens of Allison’s relatives and friends gathered Thursday evening outside a Kent apartment complex with music, memories and black and purple balloons, colors her family said were among her favorites. At that point, Stow police were still publicly describing the case as a homicide investigation and had not named a suspect. By Saturday, authorities had identified 38-year-old Pierre Wade as Allison’s boyfriend and said he faced a murder charge in connection with her death.
The gathering offered a picture of Allison beyond the circumstances of her death. Family members remembered her as outspoken, loving and memorable, while speaking about the effect her death would have on her children. Her aunt, Carolyn Mims-Nelson, said the family was grieving and “wanting justice” as investigators worked to determine what happened.
Allison had been found Wednesday, Oct. 28, inside a home on Vira Road in Stow. Police initially went to the property to assist a landlord with a tenant issue. While officers were there, Allison’s relatives arrived and said they had been unable to reach her. Officers then conducted a welfare check and discovered her inside the residence.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office said Allison suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:52 p.m. Stow Police Chief Heather Prusha said during the early investigation that Allison may have been dead for multiple days. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation joined Stow detectives and the medical examiner’s office in investigating the homicide.
During the first day of the investigation, Prusha said police were seeking information about the last people who had spoken with Allison. No suspect had been publicly identified when relatives released balloons in her honor Thursday. Family members told News 5 Cleveland that Allison was loved by those who knew her and would be missed.
The case changed Friday when members of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office located Wade in Cleveland. Police said Wade was initially taken into custody on an unrelated failure-to-appear warrant from Stow. Authorities also reported finding a handgun in his vehicle. The Summit County Prosecutor’s Office later authorized a murder charge, according to police.
Wade had been living at the same Stow address as Allison and was described by police as her boyfriend. Authorities have not publicly released a motive or a full account of the events they believe led to Allison’s death. Wade is accused of murder, but the charge has not been proven in court.
The arrest followed an emotional two-day period for Allison’s family. Relatives first arrived at the Stow home worried because they could not contact her, then gathered the following night to remember her. Adrian Mims, another family member who attended the Kent gathering, spoke about missing Allison and recalled the personal memories and nicknames that had become part of family life.
For Allison’s relatives, attention now shifts from the initial search for answers to the criminal proceedings. Wade was being held in the Summit County Jail and is scheduled to appear in Stow Municipal Court at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Police and state investigators continue working on the homicide case as the murder charge enters the court system.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.