Without Witnesses, Murders Go Unsolved

I read “Getting Away With Murder in South L.A.’s Killing Zone” (Jan. 1) with great interest. Having spent over 20 years investigating murders in South Los Angeles in the 1980s and 1990s, it was like reliving a bad dream. Virtually everything reported in the article was absolutely true. However, a major factor that goes into the solving of any murder is witnesses.

There are no finer detectives in the world than those assigned to working homicide investigations in Los Angeles, but without witness input it is virtually impossible to solve any crime. Homicide detectives in minority communities have for years solved murder cases with smoke and mirrors because they receive virtually no help.

Los Angeles Police Department Det. Jerry Pirro has it exactly right when he says most murderers in South Los Angeles live nearby. Murder is a local event that will continue to tear at the fabric of the community unless witness testimony becomes available.

Sadly, though, from the tone of the article it seems that the attitude is, as LeRoy Reed says, “I don’t want to see.”

Paul Mize

West Covina