Unsolved Murder: Family's Three-Year Quest for Answers After Maryland Shooting
The family of Ascenzio 'Slanz' Bilello initially believed he had died in a tragic car accident in August 2023. However, investigators soon made a shocking discovery that transformed the case into a homicide investigation. Nearly three years later, the mystery of who fired the fatal shot that killed the 53-year-old crane operator remains unsolved, leaving his family in perpetual anguish and a small Maryland community grappling with unexpected violence.
The Night That Changed Everything
On the evening of August 21, 2023, Ascenzio Bilello was driving home from work in West Virginia to his wife Julia in Deep Creek, Western Maryland. The familiar stretch of Cranesville Road in Oakland should have been a routine journey for the experienced driver. Instead, his white Ford Explorer crossed the center line, struck an embankment, and crashed into a tree at the bottom of a ravine.
When Julia grew concerned about her husband's absence and called his phone, a paramedic answered with devastating news. Bilello had been airlifted to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, with severe head trauma. His family rushed to the hospital, clinging to hope that he would recover from what appeared to be a terrible accident.
The medical team delivered information that shattered their assumptions. Doctors revealed Bilello had a bullet lodged in his head. The initial appearance of a single-vehicle crash masked the grim reality: someone had shot Bilello as he drove through rural Garrett County.
Investigation Reveals Homicide
Deputies from the Garrett County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash scene after a local resident reported hearing the collision. Their investigation uncovered critical evidence that transformed the case. Investigators found a bullet hole in the passenger-side window of Bilello's SUV.
The trajectory indicated the bullet had struck Bilello in the back of the head as he drove, causing him to lose control of his vehicle. Police officially declared the death a homicide, but nearly three years later, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified.
"There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about it," Bilello's sister Elena told The Independent. "I'm always thinking about what else I can do to get answers."
Small Town Mystery
Oakland, Maryland, presents an unlikely setting for such violence. With approximately 1,800 residents, the rural town near Deep Creek Lake and Wisp Ski Resort is known for tourism, skiing, and a small Amish community. "This isn't inner city Baltimore," Elena emphasized. "It's a small, rural town where everybody knows everybody."
Despite the close-knit nature of the community, Elena expresses frustration about what she perceives as insufficient progress in the investigation. She claims the sheriff's office declined to reconstruct the crash and that signs and fliers posted by the family seeking information have been repeatedly torn down.
"I can't believe that in today's day and age, something could be this poorly investigated for a homicide," she said. "So you've got a murder in a tourist town, but nobody cares."
Family's Ongoing Struggle
The Bilello family has experienced profound loss since that August night. Julia has sold the dream home her husband built on the land where they vacationed as children, unable to bear the constant reminders of their shattered life together. Their adult children continue to reach milestones their father will never witness, including their son's recent marriage.
"I was just weeping because he wasn't there," Elena recalled of her nephew's wedding. "He won't get to walk his daughter down the aisle."
Bilello's daughter Isabella maintains an active social media presence and website dedicated to finding answers about her father's death. In a blog post, widow Julia wrote: "So many people loved this man. Always smiling, positive and uplifting and jovial. The world needs more of Slanz and a lot less guns in the hands of careless morons who still remain anonymous."
Search for Justice Continues
Elena believes her brother's shooting was likely accidental rather than targeted, but insists someone must be held accountable. One development offers a glimmer of hope: Maryland State Police were called to review the case late last year, though the outcome of that review hasn't been publicly released.
"We need departments that have the resources to take on cases like this one," Elena said. "They have the resources we need to solve my brother's case. Our biggest hope right now is that they can step in and take over."
The case challenges assumptions about where gun violence occurs. "You can literally be driving down the road and your entire life can change," Elena noted. "This isn't just a city problem. This can happen anywhere."
Nearly three years after Ascenzio 'Slanz' Bilello's life ended on a rural Maryland road, his family continues to seek answers while living with an unresolved tragedy. For the person responsible, Elena poses a direct question: "Even if you didn't mean to do it, can you really live with this?"
