John Christopher Footman was 45 years old when he died on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, in Santa Monica. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at Olympic Boulevard and 9th Street. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Santa Monica Police Department case.
He was hurt the morning before. According to a Santa Monica police news release cited by the Los Angeles Times, officers received a call about a possible assault early in the morning of Tuesday, July 14. They found Footman lying on the ground at the corner, "unconscious and bleeding from head wounds." He was taken to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, where, according to coroner's records, a CT scan showed facial fractures and bleeding in the brain. He was pronounced dead in the hospital's intensive care unit at 3:10 p.m. the following day.
Coroner's records listed Footman as a transient, and the police release said he lived around Santa Monica. That is nearly all that has been made public about him. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found, and no news outlet other than the Times appears to have reported on his death. The few public records found under the name John Footman belong to other men in Georgia, South Carolina and Delaware, none of whom can be tied to the man who died in Santa Monica. He surely had family, friends or people on the street who knew him, but none of that has entered the public record.
Much remains unknown. Police have not said who called in the assault, whether anyone saw it happen, whether he was attacked by one person or several, or whether anything was taken from him. The injuries recorded by the coroner, fractures to the face and bleeding in the brain, suggest that he was struck in the head with considerable force, possibly more than once, but the record does not say whether fists, feet or an object were used. It is also not known whether he knew the person who hurt him.
People who live outdoors are especially vulnerable to violence, often sleeping in exposed places with no one who notices quickly when they disappear.
Santa Monica is a beach city on the western edge of Los Angeles County, surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles. It is known for its pier, the Third Street Promenade and its beaches, and it has long had a sizable population of people experiencing homelessness. Olympic Boulevard is a major east-west street through the city, lined with offices, businesses and apartment buildings, and the corner of Olympic and 9th lies a short distance from the busy downtown area.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of John Christopher Footman could be found in news archives or public records. More than ten years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was near Olympic Boulevard and 9th Street in the early morning of July 14, 2015, or who knew a 45-year-old man named John Footman who lived on the streets of Santa Monica, may hold information that could help investigators. Police asked anyone with information to call Det. Chad Goodwin at 458-8942 or Sgt. Maury Sumlin at 458-8437. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can contact the Santa Monica Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
