Richard Casillas was 43 years old when he was found dead on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008, in the Bassett and Avocado Heights area of the San Gabriel Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 13837 Proctor Ave. 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 said that Casillas, "a 43-year-old Latino man, was found stabbed to death inside his trailer home at 13837 Proctor St. in Bassett about 8:38 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3." It added that he "was declared dead at the scene, authorities said," and that "detectives with the sheriff's homicide bureau are investigating." The report did not say who found him or how long he had been there.
A memorial listing at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier records a Richard Casillas Jr. who "was born on February 2, 1965 in Los Angeles, California and passed away on February 3, 2008."
The date of death and the age match this case exactly, and the listing is very likely his. If so, he was a native of Los Angeles, he carried his father's name, and he was killed one day after his 43rd birthday. The listing gives no other details about his life, his work or his family.
The fact that he was found inside his own home in the morning suggests that he may have been attacked during the night or the evening before, and that his killer may have been someone he let in or someone who knew where he lived. Those are only possibilities. The record does not say whether anything was taken, whether there were signs of a struggle, whether neighbors heard anything, or whether detectives ever identified a suspect.
Richard Casillas is also a fairly common name, shared by men in Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska and elsewhere in California, none of whom has any connection to this death.
Bassett and Avocado Heights are neighboring unincorporated communities east of El Monte, close to La Puente and the City of Industry, and they are patrolled by the Sheriff's Department. They are mostly residential, with modest homes and some larger semi-rural lots where residents keep horses.
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 Richard Casillas could be found in news archives or public records. More than 17 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew Richard Casillas, who visited or passed his trailer on Proctor in the days before Feb. 3, 2008, or who heard later talk about what happened there, may hold information that could help detectives. 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 (8477).
