Teacher killed in home was stabbed and shot

The longtime CLEVELAND — Strongsville middle-school teacher found dead in her kitchen was shot and stabbed to death, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.

Police have announced no arrests in the death of 49-year-old Melinda Pleskovic. She was found dead Monday night and her husband called 911. The medical examiner statement released Friday said that she died of wounds to both her body and head.

Police responded about 8 p.m. at her home Blazing Star Drive after a man who identified himself as her husband told a 911 dispatcher that she was stabbed to death. The husband complained to the dispatcher that his family dealt with attempted break-ins at their home for over a year and lashed out at Strongsville police.

He told police he believed they are being targeted but they don’t know who would do that.

The Strongsville Police Department requested through a Facebook post Wednesday that the public offer some patience as they try to solve the case. But department officials have not said whether the public should fear any danger that a killer remains at large.

Pleskovic sent her husband a text message around 4:30 p.m. and told him to meet her at the Brew Kettle, dispatch logs say. That was the last time he heard from her.

Police records dating back to January backed up the husband’s assertions. They reported a laptop stolen from a car, that someone tried to break into the home and that they once caught an adult and two teenagers hiding behind the home. Pleskovic also reported that, after a set of car keys went missing, that she would sometimes find her car unlocked or the alarm would sound at random.

One of Pleskovic’s daughter reported last year that four teenagers tired to vandalize the yard. She reported they jumped on the trampoline and had shirts tied around their head. They also were smoking marijuana and had lacrosse sticks.

She reported later that year that five teenagers were knocking on back doors and peeking into her window while she was changing.

Pleskovic worked at Strongsville City Schools for 27 years and was recently a sixth-grade teacher at Strongsville Middle School.