Home / Crime and Justice / Mystery Bullet Kills Maryland Man on Rural Road
Mystery Bullet Kills Maryland Man on Rural Road
31 Jan
Summary
- Ascenzio Bilello was fatally shot while driving home from work.
- A bullet entered his vehicle through the passenger window.
- No one has been charged in the homicide nearly three years later.
Ascenzio Bilello, a 53-year-old crane operator, was killed on August 21, 2023, while driving home to Deep Creek, Maryland. His white Ford Explorer crossed the center line on Cranesville Road near Oakland after a bullet struck him in the head through the passenger window. The vehicle then crashed into a tree at the bottom of a ravine.
Investigators determined the incident to be a homicide, but nearly three years later, no one has been charged. Bilello's sister, Elena, is actively seeking answers, expressing frustration with the perceived lack of progress in the investigation by the Garrett County Sheriff's Office. She hopes Maryland State Police, recently brought in to review the case, will take over.
The family has experienced significant loss, with Bilello's widow selling their dream home. His daughter maintains a website, www.whoshotslanz.com, and continues to share his story on social media, aiming to raise awareness about gun violence in rural areas. The family offers a reward for information leading to an arrest.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Garrett County Sheriff's Office. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain a mystery, leaving a community unaccustomed to such violence searching for closure.
