Earlene Toni Suggs was 44 years old when she died on Saturday, April 8, 2006, in Los Angeles County. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, she died of stab wounds, and her death was ruled a homicide. The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report, which described her as "a 44-year-old black female" who "died Saturday, April 8, after being stabbed," did not list the place where she died or the agency handling the case.
A little more is known from LA Weekly, which included her in a list of women killed in and around South Los Angeles over the years. It reported: "Earlene Suggs, 45, was found April 8, 2006, in an alley in the 11400 block of South Berendo Avenue. Cause of death: Stab wound to the chest." The weekly's age for her differs by one year from the coroner's figure, a small difference that is common in early reports, but the name, the date and the cause of death all match.
The same entry offered a short glimpse of her life.
"Suggs had five children and lived on and off the streets for five years," LA Weekly wrote. That single sentence is nearly all that has been made public about who she was. It suggests that she had been struggling for some time before her death, and that five children lost their mother that spring. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no news outlet appears to have followed up on the case.
Much about her death remains unknown to the public. The record does not say whether she was attacked in the alley where she was found or brought there afterward, whether she knew the person who stabbed her, what time of day she was hurt, or whether anyone saw what happened. It does not say whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
Earlene Suggs is an unusual name, and the few other people found online who share it cannot be connected to this death. Her middle name, Toni, may be the name some friends knew her by.
Berendo Avenue is a long north-south street that runs through many neighborhoods of Los Angeles and continues into the southern part of the county. Alleys like the one where she was found often run behind homes and businesses, out of sight of passing traffic. A woman who lived on and off the streets would likely have been known to people in the area, including neighbors, shopkeepers and others who spent time outdoors, and some of them may remember seeing her in the days before she was found.
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 Earlene Toni Suggs 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 near the 11400 block of South Berendo Avenue in April 2006, or who knew Earlene Suggs and spent time with her in the days before her death, 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 Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 (877-LAPD-24-7) or the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
