Charles Eugene Terrell

Charles Eugene Terrell was 27 years old when he died on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008, New Year's Eve, in the city of Inglewood. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 234 W. Arbor Vitae St. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as an Inglewood Police Department case.

The coroner's record describes him as a Black man. The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report said he "was stabbed to death Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 234 W. Arbor Vitae Ave. in Inglewood." Drawing on an account from Inglewood city officials, the report described what happened in a few lines: "Terrell was walking on the sidewalk when he was confronted by someone and got into an altercation." According to the Times, "He was taken to UCLA-Harbor Medical Center where he died of his injuries."

That account leaves out almost everything a reader would want to know. It does not say who confronted him, whether that person was alone, what the altercation was about, or whether Charles Terrell knew the person. It does not say whether anyone saw the fight or how the attacker left. The fact that he was simply walking when the confrontation began suggests the attack may have been sudden, but the record does not say so.

His death did not pass unnoticed at Inglewood City Hall. A City of Inglewood document from 2009 carries the heading "The Homicide of Charles Terrell," and begins: "WHEREAS, on Wednesday, December 31, 2008, Charles Terrell was fatally stabbed in front of" the location on Arbor Vitae. Only that opening passage could be read for this story, so its purpose and its full contents remain unknown, but it shows that the case was formally taken up by the city months after the stabbing, which suggests that investigators were still seeking help from the public at that time.

Beyond that, nothing about his life has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser for him could be found, and his name is shared by many other men across the country, which makes it difficult to trace any record of who he was, where he worked or which family he left behind.

Inglewood is a city of about 100,000 people southwest of downtown Los Angeles, close to Los Angeles International Airport. It is best known as the home of the Forum and, more recently, of the large stadium and entertainment district built at the former Hollywood Park racetrack. Most of the city is made up of residential neighborhoods of houses and apartment buildings, and it has its own police department. Arbor Vitae Street is one of the city's main east-west streets.

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 Charles Eugene Terrell could be found in news archives or public records. More than 17 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on Arbor Vitae Street on the last day of 2008, who saw an argument or fight there, or who heard someone talk afterward about a stabbing on New Year's Eve, may hold information that could help investigators. 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 Inglewood Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).