DOWNTOWN L.A. — A $75,000 reward has been reinstated by the city of Los Angeles for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or people responsible for the murder of a Santa Monica resident and his friend in 2008.
Councilwoman Jan Perry on Wednesday joined Southwest Division detectives and the families of Clifton Hibbert Jr. and Kenneth Patterson to call on members of the public to come forward.
“For the families of the victims it is extremely painful to recount the loss this crime represents,” Perry said in a statement to the Daily Press. “It is imperative that we not forget and do all that we can as a city to solve this case and see that justice is served.”
Hibbert, 22, of Santa Monica, and Patterson, 23, were found dead on the 4200 block of Figueroa Street near USC on March 28, 2008. According to police, Hibbert, who graduated from Santa Monica High School, and Patterson were returning from a party in Northridge and had stopped to drop off a friend at an apartment building on Figueroa.
Hibbert, an aspiring lawyer, was just a few weeks away from earning his college degree from Cal State Northridge. Patterson was a musician pursuing a career in the industry.
Donna Brown, Hibbert’s mother, said her son grew up in Santa Monica and attended local public schools.
“It’s still very difficult,” Brown said regarding the loss of her son. “My heart is breaking knowing that there is a murderer out there who still hasn’t been found.”
At a candlelight vigil held at CSUN shortly after Hibbert’s death, family and friends described Hibbert as compassionate, funny and a dedicated student.
A $75,000 reward was issued shortly after the shooting. Rewards must be reinstated every six months, according to a spokesperson with Perry’s office.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting is urged to contact the LAPD’s Southwest Division at (213) 485-1383, or the 24-hour, toll-free number (877)-Lawfull (1-877-529-3855). Anonymous tips can be left at the 24-hour hotline number.
kevinh@www.smdp.com
