Roderick Deshawne Powell was 31 years old when he was killed early on Saturday, December 6, 2014, in the Lomita area of Los Angeles County. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds in the 26000 block of South Western Avenue, near Palos Verdes Drive North. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report gave an account of what investigators were told. About 12:30 a.m., Powell was found bleeding on the sidewalk in the Harbor Hills Housing Project. He "had been hanging out with a group for most of the day and got into an altercation with a 28-year-old woman," the Times wrote. "The woman said Powell charged at her and punched her, so she pulled out a small pocket knife and stabbed him, according to authorities." The woman told authorities she was afraid for her safety.
Powell was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:01 a.m.
The case then went to prosecutors. According to the Times, "The L.A. County district attorney's office did not file charges against the woman, citing a lack of sufficient evidence." The public record does not say whether prosecutors concluded that she acted in self-defense, or only that the evidence was not strong enough to prove a crime. It also does not say what witnesses in the group reported, what the altercation was about, or whether Powell and the woman knew each other well. Those gaps leave his death in an uncertain place: ruled a homicide by the coroner, but with no one ever charged.
Beyond his name, his age and the account of that night, almost nothing about Roderick Powell has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no news outlet other than the Times appears to have reported on his death. He surely had family and friends who remember who he was, but none of that has entered the public record. His first and last names are both common, and searches for them turn up obituaries for many unrelated men in other states.
Harbor Hills is a public housing development on the hillside along Western Avenue, near the city of Lomita and the slopes of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The surrounding area mixes modest apartment complexes and single-family homes with the more affluent neighborhoods that rise toward the peninsula. Like many housing developments, it is a close community where residents often know one another, and where a gathering that lasts through the day can draw neighbors, friends and visitors.
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 Roderick Deshawne Powell could be found in news archives or public records. More than 11 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was with the group at Harbor Hills on December 5 and 6, 2014, or who saw the altercation, may have information that could add to what investigators know. 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 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
