Patrick Barnett was found dead in Los Angeles on August 1, 1996, the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. The Los Angeles Police Department opened a homicide investigation after he was discovered under suspicious circumstances; witnesses said they had seen a heated argument between Barnett and an unidentified individual shortly before the shooting, and investigators treated the altercation as a possible motive for the fatal encounter.

Over the years several suspects were identified and a few arrests were made on circumstantial grounds, but none produced a conviction. Advances in forensic testing in the early 2000s led to DNA and ballistic re-examinations that yielded new information but did not definitively identify a perpetrator. The victim’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city alleging mishandled evidence and inadequate follow-up, which prompted internal reviews.

The case remains unsolved and has been revisited by cold case units; the family continues to seek justice. Does anyone have information about Patrick Barnett, his last known whereabouts, or the people he was with on August 1, 1996?