S9:E2: INTERVIEW UPDATE: The Senseless Murder of Wanda Zellner (feat. Quwante “Shaylee” Leftwich) “Finding My Mother’s Killer”

Columbus, Ohio—It was December 9, 1980, when 23-year-old Wanda Zellner was found brutally murdered inside her Wilson Avenue apartment with her two-year-old son by her side—and the person responsible—James Hughes AKA - James Preston, and/or James Martini was never brought to justice. 

More than four decades later, her case remains unsolved, frozen in time, while the consequence of that senseless violence continues to shape the life of the child she left behind who was just 2 years old at the time of her murder. 

This interview update episode revisits Wanda’s murder through the voice of her son–Shaylee who was forced to grow up in the shadows of unanswered questions –while also learning about his mother’s murder when he was a pre-teen and the lifelong grief he carries including the suspicion his father lived under as a suspect in the murder, although DNA evidence proved that he was not a match. 

In an emotional interview, Shaylee speaks about losing his mother at a young age, navigating a childhood marked by her absence, and living without closure. He reflects on the silence that followed the crime, the weight of never knowing who took his mother from him until later in life and his quest to find his mother’s killer. 

Shaylee’s story is a reminder that unresolved cases do not end—they live on in the people left behind.

Rest in Peace - Wanda Zellner and our hearts go out to her loved ones.  🕊️🙏

Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward up to $5,000 for any information that can help catch James Hughes/Preston/Martini. Anyone with any information is asked to call Columbus Crime Stoppers 614-461-8477.

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