Levester Brian Peterson was 39 years old when he died on Sunday, August 5, 2018, in Inglewood. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds in the 100 block of East Kelso Street. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Inglewood Police Department.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report gave a fuller account than it did for many deaths that year. "Inglewood Police officers were called to the scene about 3:19 p.m.
regarding a person down, according to a department news release," the Times wrote. "Officers found Peterson lying on the sidewalk with multiple stab wounds." He was taken to UCLA Westwood Medical Center, where, according to coroner's records, he was pronounced dead at 4:28 p.m., a little more than an hour after police arrived.
The Times also drew on his obituary. "He was a native of Inglewood who resided in Long Beach when he died," it reported. That means he was killed in the city where he grew up, though the record does not say why he was on Kelso Street that Sunday afternoon or whether he was visiting family or friends nearby.
The Long Beach Post covered the case under the headline "Long Beach man killed in Inglewood stabbing; assailant still at large." It quoted Inglewood police Sgt. Francisco Ruiz, who said the stabbing was reported about 3:20 p.m. and that Peterson "was found on the sidewalk suffering from multiple stab wounds." The paper added that "No arrests have been made, and no suspect information was available, police said." Police did not say publicly whether he knew his attacker, whether there had been an argument, or whether anyone saw the stabbing, even though it happened in daylight on a residential street.
Beyond these details, little about his life has entered the public record. No longer obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found online. Searches for his name turn up a few other men named Levester Peterson, most of them in South Carolina, none of whom can be tied to this death.
Inglewood is an independent city in the southwest part of Los Angeles County, a few miles east of Los Angeles International Airport. It is best known as the home of the Forum arena, and in 2018 it was in the early stages of a major transformation, with construction of a large new football stadium under way.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Levester Brian Peterson could be found in news archives or public records. More than seven years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on or near East Kelso Street in Inglewood on the afternoon of August 5, 2018, or who knew a 39-year-old Long Beach man named Levester Peterson who grew up in Inglewood, may hold information that could help. 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 contact the Inglewood Police Department's Homicide Section at 310-412-5246, referring to case 18-53061, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
