Jerry Stradford was 52 years old when he died on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in South Park, in South Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds near 45th Street and Central Avenue. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department Newton Division case.
The coroner's records describe him as a Black man. The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report recorded only the basic facts: his name, his age, and that he died after being stabbed near that intersection. It gave no account of the attack itself.
Yet his death drew more official attention than most. Within weeks, a motion was brought before the Los Angeles City Council to offer a reward. The motion said that "what happened to Jerry Stradford, is an especially disturbing crime," and a related city document stated that his death "was caused by the willful misconduct of one or more persons." On Sept.
20, 2012, the LAPD held a news conference at its Newton Area Community Police Station, at 3400 S. Central Ave., to announce a $25,000 reward "for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Jerry Stradford." The Newton Division's commanding officer, Capt. Jorge Rodriguez, its officer in charge, Lt. Samuel Rhone, and Newton homicide detectives were listed as taking part.
The public announcements did not explain what made the crime "especially disturbing," and the details of how he was hurt, whether he knew his attacker, and whether anyone saw what happened have not been released. The fact that the city and the police department both moved to offer a reward within weeks suggests that detectives had few leads and hoped someone would come forward, but the record does not say so directly.
Beyond these notices, almost nothing about Jerry Stradford's life has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and searches turned up only other men named Jerry Stradford in other states, none of whom can be connected to the man who died in South Park.
South Park is a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, made up largely of modest homes and small apartment buildings on a grid of numbered streets. Central Avenue runs through it and was for decades the heart of Black Los Angeles, famous for its jazz clubs in the 1930s and 1940s.
Homicides in Los Angeles fell steeply in the late 2000s and early 2010s, yet many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Jerry Stradford could be found in news archives or public records. More than 13 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. The $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of those responsible. Anyone who was near 45th Street and Central Avenue on Aug. 1, 2012, or who knew Jerry and the people around him, may hold information that could help 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.
