Perry Young was 47 years old when he was found dead on the night of Monday, August 9, 2010, in Historic South-Central Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds near 27th Street and Maple Avenue. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Los Angeles Police Department's Newton Division.
Coroner's records said that Young, who was homeless, was found lying on the sidewalk suffering from several stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. LAPD Det. Leonardo McKenzie, who handled the investigation, told the Los Angeles Times that members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department found him at 11 p.m. No arrests were made, and McKenzie asked anyone with information to contact him.
A short death notice published in the Augusta Chronicle in Georgia on August 21, 2010, reported that "Mr. Perry Young, 47, formerly of Warren County, GA, died Monday, August 9, 2010, in Los Angeles, CA."
The name, age and date all match, which suggests that he had roots in rural east Georgia and that family there learned of his death and arranged for it to be announced at home. Only that short notice could be found; it does not say when he came to California or who survived him.
Beyond that, almost nothing about Perry Young's life has been made public. No memorial page or family fundraiser could be found, and no news outlet other than the Times appears to have reported on the killing. Perry Young is also a common name, shared by an actor, a football prospect and many others across the country, none of whom has any connection to this death.
Because so little was released, even the basic circumstances remain unknown. The record does not say whether he was attacked during a fight or a robbery, by a stranger or by someone he knew, or whether he was stabbed where he was found. It does not say how long he had been homeless, whether he usually stayed in that area, whether anyone heard or saw anything, or whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
Historic South-Central is a neighborhood just south of downtown Los Angeles, one of the oldest residential areas of the city. Its streets mix older houses and apartment buildings with small factories, garment businesses, warehouses and shops, and many of its residents are working-class families. The area is patrolled by the LAPD's Newton Division, which covers a large part of the industrial and residential land south and southeast of downtown.
Homicides in Los Angeles fell steeply in the late 2000s and early 2010s, yet many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Perry Young could be found in news archives or public records. More than 15 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew a homeless man named Perry in the area of 27th Street and Maple Avenue in the summer of 2010, or who was nearby on the night of August 9, 2010, may hold information that could help. At the time, Det. McKenzie asked callers to reach him at (323) 846-6556. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 (877-LAPD-24-7), or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
