Magdalena Mendoza, 19, was found dead in a room at the Starlite Motel, 10000 MacArthur Boulevard in East Oakland, on November 13, 2016. Initial reports say she had been fatally shot in the face while lying on a bed and appeared to be in a sleeping position. The Oakland Police Department treated the death as suspicious and investigated.

The Starlite Motel had a documented history of police calls and prior violence, including a fatal shooting of a young woman in 2012, a fact investigators noted while examining Mendoza’s death. In April 2018 the Alameda County District Attorney charged 17-year-old John Malik Morris with the shooting, citing video surveillance that allegedly showed him at the scene and handling bed linens before fleeing. In December 2018 a judge granted the district attorney’s motion to dismiss those charges, citing a failure to meet the required burden of proof.

Many questions about what happened to Magdalena Mendoza remain unanswered. If anyone knew her, saw her at the motel, or has information about that night, please share what is known.