Will Amy Diesman's family ever get justice for their murdered daughter?

Amy Diesman was a wholesome all-American girl. She was a graduate of New Richmond High School, where she played track, tennis and basketball and was inducted into the national honor society. After high school, Amy gave birth to a baby girl and started classes at Northern Kentucky University. Things were looking up for Amy, who had just started a new job at the Merwin Shop-n-Go located at Merwin 10 Mile and Ohio 125.

The day Amy was murdered

September 12, 1987, was a typical fall day in Southwest Ohio. A few weeks after the official end of summer, it was the type of day that you learn to layer for in Ohio - mornings in the 20s require some bundling up with afternoons in the mid-50s. The day was a bit dreary with off-and-on rain in the region. Amy Diesman lived in a quiet, rural town about 20 minutes east of Cincinnati, OH. New Richmond, nestled along the Ohio River, boasts spectacular views and great scenery. It’s the quiet, small-town that you think of in the mid-west where everyone knows and looks after each other. A safe place to raise your children.

Amy was a child of the 80s, though pictures of her do not boast the teased and feather hair so common in this era. 1987 saw big hits like Dirty Dancing and Fatal Attraction. I wonder if Amy read Teen Beat, like so many of us did back then. Cheers, The Golden Girls, and Growing Pains were popular TV shows. Cell phones had just debuted but were still out of reach for most people. President Reagan gave his famous “Tear Down This Wall” speech earlier in the summer.

Amy was on the cusp of adulthood. She had just graduated from New Richmond High School the previous spring. By all accounts, Amy was very involved in her high school, both academically and athletically. She was a member of the National Honor Society and played tennis, basketball, and track. Friends say that she was always eager to work on things and be the head of committees. Her coach is quoted as saying “Everything high school offered, she took advantage of it. I always admired her for that. Kids like that don’t come along very often.”

Amy’s life after graduation continued to be a whirlwind of activity. She gave birth to her daughter Sally Ann over the summer. She was also attending Northern Kentucky University, a short jaunt across the river. Amy had just started a new job recently at Merwin Stop-N-Go, a local convenience store located at Merwin 10 Mile and Ohio 125.

When Amy’s body was discovered

September 12, 1987, was only Amy’s fourth day of her new job, and reportedly, her first overnight shift. There was no one else working with her that evening. She was only 19 years old. In the breaking hours of Saturday, a customer entered the Merwin Stop-N-Go to a seemingly empty store. 

In the early morning hours of September 12, 1987, a customer walked into an empty Merwin Shop-n-Go. Suspicious, the customer peeked behind the counter, where he made a horrifying discovery. Amy was discovered on the floor behind the counter; she had been shot to death seemingly moments before as the last sale was recorded at 5:28 AM. 911 was called at 5:30 AM.

Where Amy's case stands today

After the murder, Kelly McConnell, Amy's former track coach, started an Amy Diesman award. A scholarship fund for Amy's daughter, Sally-Ann, was also established. The principal of New Richmond highschool stated in an interview with The Northerner that the high school wanted to do whatever they could to remember Amy.

The father of Sally-Ann, Amy's daughter, was a person of interest in the murder. Sally-Ann is now older than her mother was when she passed away and wants to see her mother's murderer brought to justice. Officers are still investigating Amy's case.

Share her case on social media and keep her name out in public. The key to solving this horrific crime is out there, and the more people who know Amy's name, the better.

Anyone that has information regarding the murder of Amy Diesman at the Merwin Shop-n-Go at Merin 10 Mile and Ohio 125 should call (855) 224-6446 or submit a tip via email at, OhioUnsolvedHomicides@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.