Bingham "Berry" Berresford, aged 64, was found dead in his home in West Oakland on January 25, 2011. Berresford, who served as the political director for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, was discovered by police after his colleagues grew concerned when they had not heard from him for several days. The door to his townhouse on the 500 block of Henry Street was found ajar, and upon entering, police discovered his body.
Authorities treated the death as a homicide and there were signs of trauma, though the exact cause was not immediately clear.
Berresford had moved to the United States from Montego Bay, Jamaica, and was well-known in his community for his activism and union work. He had been working on a Head Start campaign in Stockton and was often away from his home. His death shocked many in the community, who held a candlelight vigil in his honor shortly after his passing. Despite ongoing investigations, no suspects were immediately identified, leaving his death among the unsolved homicides in Oakland during a period marked by high levels of violence. The community and his family continue to seek answers and justice for his untimely death.
