Jerry Ortiz Archives - The Murder Memo

A Tribute to Fallen Colleagues

May 23, 2018September 3, 2023Danny R. Smith109 Comments

Since I was sworn as a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff in 1983, the tally of department members killed in the line of duty has reached 37. Many of them were acquaintances, some were friends. As a homicide detective, I’ve investigated the deaths of others. This is a reminder of their sacrifices.

Death at Sea

January 19, 2018January 15, 2019Danny R. Smith6 Comments

In Marina del Rey There were worse places to process a crime scene than two miles offshore in Marina del Rey, California. But how, exactly, would one go about such a task, and what circumstances would call for such an investigation? Perhaps a case of suicide. Or murder. Those were the questions I asked a…