Thomas Eugene Weyant was 54 years old when he died on Friday, Aug. 16, 2002, in Silver Lake, a hillside neighborhood northwest of downtown Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 3348 Descanso Drive. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department case, handled by the Rampart Division.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report gave only a short summary. It described him as "a 54-year-old white male" who "died Friday, Aug. 16, after sustaining blunt force trauma in Silver Lake, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records." The entry did not name a detective, did not describe what happened and did not ask the public for help.
Beyond his name, his age and the place where he died, almost nothing about Thomas Eugene Weyant has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no news outlet appears to have reported on the death. He surely had family, friends or neighbors who remember who he was, but none of that has entered the public record. His surname is not common, but searches for Thomas Weyant turn up several other men, among them a California man who died in 2010 and others whose obituaries appear in other states, none of whom can be tied to the man who died on Descanso Drive.
Because so little has been released, even the basic circumstances remain unknown to the public. The record does not say whether he was beaten in a fight, attacked by a stranger, assaulted indoors or on the street, or struck by a vehicle, all of which can lead to a finding of blunt force trauma. It does not say what time of day he was hurt, whether he died at the scene or later at a hospital, whether anyone saw what happened, or whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
The location is a street address on a residential street, which may mean he was hurt in or near a home. The record does not say whether he lived there, whether he knew anyone at the address, or whether he was found inside or outside.
Silver Lake is known for its steep, winding streets, its reservoir and its long history as a home for artists, musicians and writers. The neighborhood has many hillside houses, including well-known examples of modernist architecture, along with older bungalows and small apartment buildings. Its commercial strips along Sunset Boulevard and near Sunset Junction are lined with cafes, bars and shops. The neighborhood has also long been an important center of the city's gay community.
Homicides in Los Angeles rose sharply in the early 2000s, climbing past 600 in 2002, and detectives carried heavy caseloads. Many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Thomas Eugene Weyant could be found in news archives or public records. More than 23 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew Thomas, who lived on or near the 3300 block of Descanso Drive in Silver Lake in August 2002, or who heard anyone talk about what happened to him, may be able to help. 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 call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
