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The Netflix true crime docuseries, Homicide: Los Angeles, premiered on July 16, 2024. Produced by Law and Order creator Dick Wolf, the series consists of five episodes, chronicling high-profile murders that occurred in what's colloquially called the City of Angels.
The five episodes cover grisly and sensational murder cases that dominated the news headlines back when they happened and to this day, they continue to draw interest from true crime enthusiasts.
Phil Spector, and other killers on Homicide: Los Angeles
1) episode 1: Phil Spector
Phil Spector was a groundbreaking record producer in his heyday during the 1960s. However, his career would come to a permanent end when he was convicted for the murder of Lana Clarkson, as shown in Homicide: Los Angeles episode 1.
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Phil was known for classics such as Be My Baby, and he became a sought-after producer thanks to his trademark "Wall of Sound" technique.
However, Phil's personal life was marred by mental instability and erratic behavior. Ronnie Spector, one of the singers of Be My Baby who later became his wife, has alleged that Spector was extremely abusive and possessive towards her during their marriage.
Phil's career went into relative inactivity since the 1980s, only to come to a permanent end when he was arrested for Lana Clarkson's murder in 2003. She'd been shot through the mouth in an event Spector dubbed as an "accidental suicide".
He was eventually convicted of the crime in 2009, and sentenced to 19 years to life in California state prison. He eventually died in prison in 2021.
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2) Episode 2: Mike Goodwin
Mike Goodwin was a former business partner of groundbreaking drag racer and hot rodder, Mickey Thompson, whose murder was depicted in Homicide: Los Angeles Episode 2. At the time of Mickey's murder, Mike owed him a settlement of over $768,000 that he'd refused to pay.
Mickey and his wife Trudy were murdered in the driveway of their home in Bradbury, California by two hooded assailants, who, according to police sketches, may have been black men. The shooters remain at large as of this writing.
Two months before the murder, Mike Goodwin and his wife made plans to flee the country by buying $275,000 worth of gold coins and wiring $400,000 in offshore bank accounts in Grand Turk Islands. They disappeared from the United States for over two years.
Mike Goodwin was subsequently arrested in Orange County, California in connection with the murders, and was eventually tried for the crime in Pasadena. The case revealed strong circumstantial evidence pointing to his guilt, including witness testimony that he explicitly threatened to have Mickey murdered.
Mike Goodwin was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and is currently serving his time in prison.
3) Episode 3: Robert Yniguez
Robert Yniguez is a convicted r*pist and the murderer of Teresa Broudreaux, as depicted in Homicide: Los Angeles episode 3.
In 1980, Teresa Broudreaux was found murdered while she was pregnant, with her head bashed in, and there was evidence of her having been sexually assaulted in the process.
Her husband, Ronnie Fematt, was one of the initial suspects in the murder, as he'd been seen arguing with her before she went to her sister's house. She'd been found dead soon afterward.
Ronnie was never formally charged with any crime, and the case went cold for decades until 2014. Thanks to advances in DNA testing, the police made a breakthrough as the sample matched that of another criminal in their database: Robert Yniguez.
Robert was arrested outside his home in San Pedro once the police had built a strong enough case against him and was tried and convicted of the crime in 2019. He's been sentenced to 15 years to life and will be eligible for parole in 2026.
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4) Episode 4: John Creech
The victim of Homicide: Los Angeles episode 4 was Gavin Smith, an executive at Fox who'd also played basketball for UCLA.
In May 2012, Gavin Smith went missing, and during their investigations, the police looked into a woman he was having an affair with, Chandrika Creech.
The two had started an affair back in 2008, which their spouses had found out about. Gavin Smith had been in touch with Chandrika Creech the night of his disappearance, which caused the police to question her.
The culprit of the case turned out to be Chandrika's husband, John Creech. According to the account of his associate, Jorge Valles, John had contacted him for help in disposing of Gavin Smith's body, which was eventually discovered in Palmdale in 2014.
John Creech was tried for killing Gavin in 2017 and claimed he did so in self-defense. While he wasn't convicted of first-degree murder, he did receive a voluntary manslaughter conviction, along with other convictions for drug smuggling offenses. John Creech is currently serving his sentence in prison.
5) Episode 5: Bruce Koklich
Episode 5 of Homicide: Los Angeles focuses on the disappearance of Jane Carpenter-Koklich, the wife of Bruce Koklich, who was eventually convicted of her murder.
Bruce reported the disappearance of his wife in August 2001, but the police grew suspicious of him during the course of their investigation.
Jane Koklich's disappearance became a murder in law enforcement's eyes when the police found her car, unoccupied, near oil wells. While there was a lot of blood on the scene, Jane's body has still not been found to this day.
Bruce Koklich was tried for his wife's murder in 2002, only for the trial to end in a hung jury. He was convicted of second-degree murder after a retrial but was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
As of writing, all of Bruce Koklich's parole applications have been denied, with his next parole eligibility being in 2008.
Homicide: Los Angeles is a follow-up to Dick Wolf's Homicide: New York, and is available for streaming on Netflix in all regions.
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