Choon Sung Ro, 59, died on Friday, January 21, 2000, in Pico-Union. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 1138 S. Normandie Ave. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department Wilshire Division case.
Beyond his name, his age and the place where he died, almost nothing about Choon Sung Ro 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.
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.
Searches for his name turn up only a handful of records, including an online memorial listing at a Whittier cemetery for a man named Choon Sung Ro and a listing for a living man of the same name in Orange County. The memorial listing gives no dates or details, so it could not be confirmed that it belongs to the man who died in January 2000, and it is not used in this story. If it is his, it may mean that family members in Southern California still remember him and could help tell his story.
Pico-Union is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Los Angeles, just west of downtown. It is known for its large Central American community, its older apartment buildings and a number of historic homes from the early 20th century. Normandie Avenue is one of the long north-south streets that pass through this part of the city, lined with apartment buildings, churches and small businesses.
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 Choon Sung Ro could be found in news archives or public records. More than 25 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived or worked near the 1100 block of South Normandie Avenue in January 2000, or who knew a 59-year-old man named Choon Sung Ro at that time, may remember seeing him, hearing about a fight or attack, or noticing something unusual in the days around January 21. Family members, coworkers, church members or neighbors may also hold information that never reached detectives. 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.
