Charlene Matson, 35, was found dead on December 8, 2024, in a field near Second Street and the San Gabriel River in East Long Beach, California. Her body was discovered at about 4:30 a.m. after a brush fire in the area had been extinguished. Initial assessments called the circumstances suspicious, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

Matson had prior legal contacts: an August 4, 2024 arrest in Orange County for possession of a narcotic controlled substance and a July 21, 2016 charge for possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. As of December 28, 2024, no arrests or suspects have been publicly identified and the Long Beach Police Department is asking the public for help. Few other details about motive or leads have been released.

Did anyone in the East Long Beach area see anything around Second Street and the San Gabriel River on the morning of December 8, 2024, or know Charlene Matson and her movements that week?