On January 20, 2023, 50-year-old Anthony Soloc was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at his residence in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles County coroner's office ruled his death a homicide.
In January 2024, authorities charged 37-year-old Joshua Lee Simmons with Soloc's murder. Simmons was already in custody, facing charges for the July 2023 murder of 32-year-old aspiring rapper Javonnta Marshann Murphy, whose body was discovered inside a 55-gallon drum in Malibu
Lagoon. The amended criminal complaint against Simmons includes special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and allegations of personal use of an assault weapon and a semi-automatic pistol.
In addition to the murder charges, Simmons faces counts of criminal threats and attempted robbery related to separate incidents in 2023. A second individual, 41-year-old Dennis Eugene Vance, is charged with being an accessory after the fact in connection with Murphy's murder and is currently free on bond.
As of December 2024, Simmons remains in custody, awaiting trial for the murders of both Soloc and Murphy, as well as the additional charges. The investigation into the full extent of his alleged criminal activities is ongoing.
