Richard Winfrey, a 50-year-old resident of Long Beach, California, was tragically killed on September 25, 2020. The incident occurred early in the morning at Gumbiner Park, located in the 800 block of E. 7th Street. At approximately 5:30 a.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting at the park. Upon arrival, they found Winfrey suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper torso. Despite life-saving efforts by the officers and paramedics, Winfrey was pronounced dead at the scene.
The initial investigation revealed that Winfrey was in the park when unknown suspects approached him and began shooting before fleeing in an unknown direction.
The investigation into Winfrey's death led to significant developments in early 2021. On February 10, 2021, Long Beach Police Department's Special Investigation Detectives coordinated the arrests of Michael Scott Doss Jr., a 29-year-old resident of Long Beach, and Christian Lucille Watson, a 30-year-old resident of Carson. Both suspects were already in custody on unrelated charges when they were connected to Winfrey's murder. Doss was charged with one count of murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail, while Watson was charged with accessory to commit murder and is being held on $1,000,000 bail. The detectives believe that the incident stemmed from a dispute that escalated into a shooting, and that the suspects and the victim were known to each other.
Further details emerged about the suspects' criminal history and their connection to the crime. Doss and Watson had been arrested together before, notably on November 19, 2020, less than two months after Winfrey's death. They were taken into custody on suspicion of pistol-whipping and robbing a man near Ocean Boulevard and Livingston Drive in Belmont Shore. Both pleaded not guilty to those charges and were still behind bars when detectives linked them to Winfrey's killing. Additionally, in 2017, both Doss and Watson pleaded guilty to identity theft, with Doss receiving a 16-month jail sentence and Watson being sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation.
The case against Doss and Watson also includes charges of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The investigation revealed that Doss allegedly opened fire on Winfrey in a "cold-blooded" manner, as described by a neighbor who witnessed the shooting from his balcony. The neighbor recounted that the shooter rode up on a bicycle and killed Winfrey as he stood with a group near a park bench. Doss is also facing a count of attempted murder for another bystander in the park who was considered a victim. The exact motive for the shooting remains unclear, but the police continue to gather information to further the ongoing investigation.
