John Erik Baird was 34 years old when he died on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002, in Redondo Beach. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 1900 Mackay Lane. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Redondo Beach Police Department case.
The Daily Breeze reported on his death six days later. According to the paper, John, a Costa Mesa man, died "following a drunken fistfight with his friend," a 41-year-old Redondo Beach resident. The Breeze reported that the two men "had spent most of the evening together drinking." Police said they had been drinking and playing golf at the Beverly Hills Country Club before going to the Wild Goose, a topless bar in Inglewood, where they had a few more drinks.
When the two men returned to Redondo Beach at about 1 a.m., police said, the friend was driving John's car because John "was too drunk to drive." Redondo Beach Police Sgt. Don Baird, who the paper noted was no relation, said trouble began when the friend made a right turn onto Mackay Lane from Artesia Boulevard. "Baird's cell phone, which had been on the dashboard, flew across and fell out the window," the sergeant said.
According to the account the friend reportedly gave police, words were exchanged after they got out of the car and John came after him. The friend said he pushed John away, but that John still tried to punch him. The friend then reportedly hit John in the face, and John fell in the street. The friend took him into his home, where a roommate realized John was not breathing. When paramedics arrived, the friend was giving him CPR. John was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital, placed on life support and pronounced dead that afternoon.
The Breeze reported that the friend "was arrested by police, but later released pending further investigation into the cause of Baird's death." At that time, the paper said, "Police haven't decided whether or not to rule the incident a homicide," and an autopsy was expected that week. The coroner ultimately ruled the death a homicide, a medical finding that means a death was caused by another person and does not by itself mean a crime was proven. No later report of a charge could be found.
Redondo Beach is a South Bay beach city known for its pier, its harbor and its long stretch of sand. Mackay Lane is in the northern part of the city, near Artesia Boulevard, in an area of homes and apartments away from the waterfront.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest.
No arrest that led to a criminal charge or court case connected to the death of John Erik Baird 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 was with the two men that night, at the country club, at the bar in Inglewood, or near Mackay Lane in early August 2002, may remember details that matter. 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 Redondo Beach Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
