Flynnard Williams III was 18 years old when he died on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, in Inglewood. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 803 N. Edgewood St. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Inglewood Police Department.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report recorded that Williams, "a 18-year-old black male," died "after being stabbed in Inglewood." But an earlier entry on the paper's Homicide Report blog described his death differently. It said that "Flynnard Williams, III, 18, a black man, was shot in the arm and groin at 803 North Edgewood Street in Inglewood and died at 2 p.m. on Nov. 15."
The two accounts agree on his name, his age, the address and the date, so they clearly describe the same young man. They do not agree on how he was hurt. The coroner's cause of death, as listed in the database, is stabbing, while the blog's early summary spoke of gunshot wounds.
The record does not explain the difference, which suggests that one of the two entries may contain an error, or that he may have suffered more than one kind of wound. If the blog's time of death is right, he died in the early afternoon, in daylight, on a weekday.
Beyond his name, his age and the place where he died, almost nothing about Flynnard Williams III 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 name is unusual, and the "III" after it suggests he may have been named for his father and grandfather. Yet no obituary, school tribute or memorial post for him could be found.
Because so little has been released, even the basic circumstances remain unknown to the public. The record does not say whether he was stabbed during a fight or a robbery, attacked by a stranger or by someone he knew, or hurt indoors or on the street. 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.
Inglewood is a city of its own, bordering South Los Angeles to the southwest of downtown. It is best known for the Forum, the arena where the Lakers once played, and for being close to Los Angeles International Airport, whose jets pass low over its neighborhoods. Its residential streets are lined with single-family homes and small apartment buildings.
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 Flynnard Williams III could be found in news archives or public records. More than 19 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on or near North Edgewood Street in Inglewood in November 2006, or who knew an 18-year-old named Flynnard Williams, may hold information that could 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 contact the Inglewood Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
