The man still remembers his childhood friend Chester Clady Jr., who was murdered in Youngstown in 1998.

Editor’s Note: The video above is from WKBN’s original report on the 1998 murders.

Youngstown, Ohio (WKBN) — They were childhood friends and grew up on the same street on the north side.

Terrence Thomas, 47, lives in Solon and works with computers with a degree in Computer Science from Youngtown State University.

Chester Clady Jr. never made it out of Youngstown. He has also never been over the age of 22.

Chester was murdered on January 30, 1998. His case was never resolved.

Chester’s death allowed Terrence to get out of Youngstown with his degree. At the time, the city was in a bloody end, and in 10 years he had 492 murders, an average of 49.2 per year. It was the most violent period in Youngstown’s history.

Chester’s death was one of 47 murders in Youngstown in 1998.

“It was really hard, but it also made me want to stay in school and move out of Youngstown,” Terrence said after hearing the news of Chester’s death.

“The ’90s was a crazy time with drugs and mass shootings. It was just a mess,” Terrence said. “You became a stat.”

Chester and Terrence grew up next door on Crandall Avenue on the North Side.

“We have been friends since the Big Wheel days,” said Terrence.

They attended separate high schools — Terrence went to Ursuline, where he played football under head coach Dick Angle, and Chester went to Layen School — but they still keep in touch. I got

We both went to YSU. Chester had an apartment on Bryson Street off campus. This is where he was found shot to death on January 30, 1998 at approximately 11:30 pm.

When he learned his friend had been murdered, Terrence said he couldn’t believe it.

“I don’t know exactly why someone killed CJ,” he said.

In a WKBN report, reporter Joe Bell said a friend of Chester’s told him that he and a friend were watching TV at their home on Alameda Street hours before Chester was murdered. He then returned to his Bryson Street apartment and was found dead at the foot of the stairs from two gunshot wounds.

Friends and family told Bell that Clady was an easy-going man who had no enemies.

Chester was studying telecommunications at YSU when he was killed.

A few years later, Terrence left Youngstown. He said the long nights spent hunkered down at the computer in the basement of Mechelle Hall were worth it. However, he still thinks a lot about his friend.

“I always have good memories of CJ. He was an easygoing guy,” Terrence said. “When he died, it had a huge impact on my life.”

If you have information about the January 30, 1998 murder of Charles Clardy Jr., please call the Youngstown Police Detective Service at 330-742-8911 or CrimeStoppers Youngstown at 330-746-CLUE.