Antoinette Brown, a 75-year-old widow who lived alone in Oakland, California, was found murdered in her apartment on November 16, 1980. A neighbor, Wayne Anderson, last saw her that afternoon when she brought him homemade cookies; he later became concerned when her newspapers remained uncollected and, with Brown’s sister who had a key, found her body face down in the bedroom. She had been strangled with a knotted silk undergarment and showed signs of having been beaten. Her clothing was disheveled and personal items, including rings and her purse, were missing.

Another neighbor, Paula White, reported seeing a young male stranger leaving the building around 4 p.m. She later identified David Edwin Mason from a photo lineup. Mason, who had a prior history of violent crimes, was arrested and charged in connection with Brown’s murder. He initially denied involvement but inconsistencies in his alibi and details he knew about the scene were cited at trial; he was convicted and later executed in 1993 for multiple murders, including Antoinette Brown’s.

Did anyone in Oakland at the time recognize the young man Paula White described or have information about visitors to that building on November 16, 1980?