Clyde Hay, a 34-year-old white man, was found dead in his Hollywood home on January 31, 1975. His killing was counted among a series of murders attributed to Vaughn Orrin Greenwood, later called the Skid Row Slasher. Reports say Greenwood targeted vulnerable people, often transients and derelicts, and used ritualistic elements such as slashing throats and leaving cups of blood and rings of salt around bodies; those details prompted early speculation about Satanism that was later disputed.

Greenwood was arrested on February 2, 1975, after an attempted murder and was charged with multiple counts including the death of Clyde Hay. His trial produced convictions on nine counts of murder and a life sentence. Clyde Hay’s death is recorded as one of the final murders in Greenwood’s series; the case highlighted difficulties investigators faced in profiling and capturing the killer.

If anyone knew Clyde Hay or has information about his last days in Hollywood, please share what is known.