Jill Sampson Cold Case

By: Ed Nordskog

Featured Case: Jill Sampson Cold Case Arson Murder
In 1991, an art student from Colorado, Jill Sampson was out dancing at a night club near the
beach region of Los Angeles. She left the club at around 3 a.m., sober and alone, driving back
to her apartment in downtown Los Angeles, a twenty minute drive. Two and a half hours later,
Jill Sampson’s car was found burning in one of the worst gang neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
Her badly burned body was found in the front passenger seat. Within four months, few leads
were developed and the infamous L.A. Riots ripped up the very neighborhood where the body
was found. The case went cold.
Over twenty-six years later, the case was re-opened by LAPD Cold Case detectives and they
were able to get a DNA hit on some old evidence. The suspect was in State Prison and
adamantly denied being involved in the case. Several critical errors had been made by the
original fire investigators and coroner officials during the initial investigation that hampered a
prosecution.
In July of 2017, prosecutors and LAPD detectives reached out to Los Angeles Sheriff Arson
expert Ed Nordskog, who conducted a detailed case analysis of the event. The following is the
case analysis in its entirety, based solely on Nordskog’s review of reports and the scene photos.

Analysis of the Jill Sampson Incident
By Det. Ed Nordskog 7-30-17
I was contacted by DDA’s Jodi Link and Gloria Marin to offer an opinion on the above case. I
was supplied with various documents, reports and photographs from the case, and have
reviewed those documents. I did not attend the fire scene or autopsy, nor did I personally
examine any physical evidence, or interview the defendant or any of the other experts or
investigators. This is an opinion based on my limited review of these documents and
photographs. The opinion can be modified or amended as additional evidence and information
is learned.
**It should be noted that at the time of the event I was working as a detective in a neighboring
jurisdiction and was very familiar with the area where this car was found burning, the conditions
that existed within that area, and the social norms of that area during that time frame.
Expertise:
I am a full time arson-explosives investigator and profiler for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s
Department. My experience in arson and fire death cases goes back to 1997 when I joined the

Sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail. Since then, I have been the lead or co-lead investigator on over
2,100 arson investigation cases. Included within that number are sixty plus fire death scenes
which include accidental deaths, suicide by fire, arson murder, and body dump arsons. I have
testified as an arson expert and profiler in court on over eighty occasions, including death
penalty cases.
I have gained international awards and recognition as an expert in arson investigations, serial
arson investigations, arson profiling, and fire death scene analysis. I have published three books
on arsonists, serial arsonists and profiling arson events. My upcoming fourth book is specifically
on Fire Death Scene Analysis and will feature specific chapters on Suicides, Staged Suicides, and
Body Dump Arsons. It should be ready for publishing within 8-10 months.
I am a course developer and regular instructor for California State POST Homicide
Investigations-Fire Death. I have attended and been an instructor at the Forensic Fire Death
Investigation Course in San Luis Obisbo, the only school in the world where medical cadavers are
staged and burned in real crime scenarios so that the effects of fire death can be observed,
filmed, and studied. As part of this ongoing training I have observed in person or via video the
results of over sixty tests involving the burning of medical cadavers including over a dozen
within automobiles.

I am a regular lecturer on the topics of Fire Death Scene Investigation, Serial Arson, Body Dump
Arsons, and Arson Profiling for state, national and international arson investigation groups. I
have presented this same instruction for the ATF, FBI, several colleges and the governments of
multiple countries, as well as a dozen American states.
I have provided (free) case analysis, consulting and profiling to dozens of agencies, prosecutors,
and various courts on over seventy occasions within the past decade. Most of these
consultations involved either serial arson investigations or fire death scene analysis. I have also
studied dozens of fire death cases besides my own.
My duties during fire death investigations cause me to personally attend the fire death scene
and supervise the processing of the scene for fire related evidence. I manage the fire
investigation portion of the case, advise the homicide and coroner investigators as needed at
the scene, assist in moving and processing the body, and coordinate with arson criminalists and
crime lab personnel regarding the unique aspects of arson related physical evidence. I also
attend fire death post-mortem examinations and observe, consult with and advise the
pathologist regarding the unique aspects of fire injuries to the human body. I have attended
approximately fifteen post-mortem exams of fire death victims.
As part of several of these cases I have met personally and consulted several highly experienced
investigators, fire death scientists, behavior analysts (profilers), homicide detectives, coroner’s
investigators and pathologists specializing in arson, arsonists, and fire death. I and many of my
experienced colleagues within this field are keenly aware that much of what is “known” about
arson, arsonists, and fire death within the general public, and by attorneys, the courts, many
coroners and the psychiatric community in general is based on erroneous studies and myths that
have been accepted as “fact” for several decades. In truth, very few persons have the unique
experience and specialized training to accurately interpret a fire death or arson murder scene.
It should be noted that during a fire death investigation, there are three possible findings: 1. The
event is an accident, 2. The event is a suicide or staged suicide; or 3. The event is a murder or
fire set to cover up a murder.

The Fire:
The fire in this case was observed actively burning by witnesses at 0530 hours. It was fully
developed when first observed, indicating that it had been burning for some time period prior to
that. The fire was confined to the interior of the vehicle. There are no indications that this was
an “accidental” fire. I have read the reports by the fire investigators on scene and mostly agree
with their findings. Based on the presence of gasoline on or adjacent to the victim, along with
an open flame source (book of matches) directly on the victim, I am in agreement that this was
a deliberately set fire.
The duration of the fire is difficult to judge in many arson cases, making it often difficult to
construct a timeline of the event. Most fires start well before they are noticed by citizens, who
in turn call the fire department. In this case, the overall damage to the body, along with the loss
of body mass due to burning suggests that this fire was burning for at least twenty minutes
before being extinguished, and possibly up to an hour.

The Vehicle:
The vehicle was found on fire, with both doors closed, and parked legally on a surface street.
The vehicle was a newer model passenger car (at the time) and had no outward indications of
traffic collision damage or anything to indicate it may have been in an accident or forcibly
pushed off the roadway. Based on the photos and the report by the original investigators, there
were no indications of parts stripping. There appeared to be no broken window glass at the
scene that would be indicative of a pre-fire burglary at that site.
The damage to the vehicle was mainly within the passenger compartment. There is no fire
activity within the engine area or trunk area, negating the probability of an accidental fire. The
fuel tank and fuel delivery system of this car were not involved in this event and were therefore
not contributing factors for the fire or any fuel found within the scene. The fire consumed most
of the combustible materials on both the front and rear seats, with the exception of the
protected materials under the victim’s body. I am unable to tell if one or more windows was
“down” or open at the time of the fire, but based on the damage, it is likely that at least one
was partly open.
The front dash, which is constructed mainly of plastic was totally destroyed by fire, added an
additional fuel source to the scene which cause more damage to the body. The dash would have
melted and dropped to floor level, and then re-hardened shortly after the fire was extinguished.
This activity is common in car fires and often hides or encases in plastic the ignition key,
personal items or any other significant evidence that may be at floor level.
The origin of this fire was where the ignition source came into contact with the gasoline vapors.
Since they appeared to have been spread on the body and throughout the interior, the area of
origin is “general”, but appears centered on the body of the victim.

The Body:
The body in the car was the owner/driver of that car. She was found in a very non-traditional
place in the car, which adds to the suspicion of the event. She was in the front passenger seat,
slumped over so that her head rested on the driver’s seat. Her right hip, side and leg were
facing upward. Because of this, these areas of the body received the most damage from fire.
The condition of the body showed deep tissue destruction to the portions that rested higher in
the car, and lesser damage to portions of the body that were lower in the car. This is due to the
fact that the fire was burning more efficiently in the upper portions of the car as air was coming
in through the open window areas that eventually failed. This is a very common characteristic
of all bodies found in burning vehicles; the upper portions tend to receive much more fire
damage than the lower portions as there is less air flow and flame activity at floor level.
The victim’s hair is a unique piece of evidence at this scene. Hair is a very light fuel in that it is
usually one of the first materials consumed in a fire. In this case, with extensive burning
throughout the car and on the victim, it is extraordinary for any hair on the victim’s head to
have survived. Some of the victim’s hair was still attached to the left side of her head, and some
of that was stuck to the driver’s seat. I believe this is due to it being inadvertently pulled from
her head during the removal of her body, as the unburned hair had adhered to the melted
materials within the seat.
The reasons why hair may survive a large fire like this include the possibility of the hair being
wet at the time of the fire, possibly by blood. I viewed several of the photos and was able to
zoom in on the hairline of the victim. While the victim has vivid red hair, I can still see that there
appears to be some blood in the hair that survived the fire.

Another possible reason for the hair to survive is that it was wet with gasoline. Gasoline, like all
liquids will not burn, but it will evaporate and vaporize quickly and become a gaseous state,
which will burn rapidly. It is not uncommon to find hair soaked in gasoline that survived a fire
of short duration. However, in this case the fire burned for an extended period, so it is unlikely
that the hair was soaked with fuel. The investigative and coroner reports make no mention of
the hair smelling like gasoline.
A better probability in this case is that the surviving hair is actually underneath the victim’s head
on the seat before the fire is started, and is thereby protected from burning in the flames above
the victim. In my opinion after viewing the photos this is the most likely reason why the hair
survived the fire.
With this theory in mind, I can conclude that the victim was lying across the seats with her head
on the driver’s seat before the fire actually was started. She did not appear to have attempted
to escape the vehicle after the fire was set.
Coroner Investigator Sigal noted that there was blood coming from the victim’s nose, and
covering the left side of her face. Blood was also noted on the left buttocks. It should be noted
that generally, burned bodies do not bleed, although they can seep a small amount of reddish
fluid (around two cc’s) from the mouth, nose, and vagina at times. In this case, however, the
Coroner Investigator clearly notes blood, which is a strong indicator of pre-fire trauma to the
victim.
My viewing of the photos shows that there is blood that appears to come from the victim’s nose
area. This appears to be more blood than the normal small seepage at fire scenes. This blood
left a significant blood stain on the gray fabric of the front seat.
Additionally, a large “t-shirt” was found on or under the victim’s body. According to the reports,
this shirt smelled of gasoline. This shirt is in at least two pieces, is heavily damaged by fire, but
also displays a least two large patterns that appear to be blood stains.
It is my overall opinion that this amount of blood evidence confirms that the victim received
some unknown pre-fire trauma that likely incapacitated or killed her. In short, she was
deceased or incapacitated prior to the fire.

Event Site:
The site of this event is important in classifying the overall event. The site is a residential
neighborhood alongside a massive freeway construction project. During the time of this event,
many of the roads were under construction in the area and several buildings were vacant or
semi-vacant. This site could be described as a semi-deserted, darkened area within a massive

urban city. The location of this site is consistent with other criminal activity to include drug
dealing, gang activity, prostitution, auto theft/stripping, and the illegal dumping of trash and
debris. It is also highly consistent with a body dump site.
A body dump is the act of murdering a person at one location and then transferring the body,
almost always by vehicle to another more hidden or remote location. Body dump sites have
consistent traits in that they are usually fairly close to where the crime occurred, or at least one
of the closest hidden, dark, deserted or rural areas near where the murder occurred. They are
also unique in that they are most often a site familiar to the attacker. The attacker usually has
some prior knowledge of this type of site as he may live near it, work or go to school near it, or
have traveled to or past it on some previous occasion. Another common characteristic during
body dumps is that the suspect(s) often spend as little time as possible at the scene so as not to
be discovered. They tend to do things in a hasty, and sometimes sloppy manner at body dumps.
By inspecting the photos, this particular scene shows that one side of it is protected or blocked
by the freeway construction project, and there is significant evidence of past illegal dumping
along the roadway. Additionally, there are at least three areas of spray painted graffiti in the
photos that are on the curb, and a nearby residence. The graffiti is clearly that of the notorious
Five-Deuce Hoover Crip Gang. This area is somewhat “controlled” by that and other Crip street
gangs.

Suicide?:
Suicides by fire can tend to look very similar to arson following a murder. However a close
examination will determine the truth. In virtually all suicides by fire, the victim pours a
flammable liquid, usually gasoline over their own head. The container used to carry this fluid is
always found on or near the victim. It may be a non-traditional container such as a plastic cup,
milk jug, etc, but it usually survives the fire and is found by investigators. None was found at
this scene.
Persons who are intent on suicide will then set themselves on fire with a flame device, almost
always a butane lighter. This item is normally found within the scene.
An extremely common reaction by persons who set themselves on fire in a vehicle is that the
body immediately reacts to the extreme heat and pain and most often exits or attempts to exit
the vehicle. It is quite common to have a suicide-by-fire victim run down the street while on fire,
open the door and collapse nearby, or merely open the door. None of this occurred in this case.
There is no evidence that the victim was bound or restrained, preventing her from exiting the
car. This is another indication the victim was incapacitated before the fire.

At this scene the victim’s hair partially survived the event, which indicated to me that a fuel was
not poured directly over her head as in almost all suicides. Additionally, during most suicides,
the personal effects of the victim are at the scene, usually on the seat or floor. There is no
indication of these items at this scene.
Drug use, both illegal and prescription, along with alcohol abuse, and documented mental
health issues are found at nearly every suicide-by-fire scene. The investigation by the LAPD
revealed that none of these issues was a factor in this event.
Due to the totality of the event, I have eliminated suicide as a possibility at this scene. This scene
is much more consistent with a murder/body dump scene.

Comfort Zone:
At the time of this event, the site was within a section of Los Angeles known then as “South
Central”. The area at that time was comprised primarily of lower to middle income Black and
Hispanic residents. It was notorious for being one of the most dangerous, gang and drug ridden
areas within the United States. That area was well known for such ultra violence as “drive by”
gang shootings, and the epidemic of “crack” cocaine and PCP use. It was also known for a
violent act called “car jacking”, wherein gang members literally stole or robbed cars from
victims while at stop lights or in parking lots.
Most persons involved in criminal behavior tend to operate within defined “comfort zones”, or
areas where they are known and familiar. South Central Los Angeles in that era was heavily
infested with violent street gangs and it would be unlikely that a person from outside that area
or even outside of that particular gang would use that site to dispose of a body. I find it highly
likely that the person(s) involved in this event are from this same area.
Sophistication of attack:
The ignition scenario for this fire is fairly simple. The suspect(s) poured gasoline throughout the
interior of the car and on the victim’s body, and then applied an open flame source via a book of
paper matches to the victim. This ignition scenario is efficient and reliable, but is not at all
unique. The fire would erupt brightly and it would be noticed the instant it was lit. It also would
not give the arsonist any sort of delay to discreetly leave the scene. It is an unsophisticated
arson event that could be accomplished by even a novice fire setter.
The use of gasoline as a fuel in arson fires is extremely common and extremely dangerous to the
arsonist. There is a moderate risk of a vapor explosion (flash fire) that may injure the arsonist.
However, it is common knowledge that gasoline ignites easily and is readily available at any
time, which makes it the usual fuel for arson attacks. As is typical in many arson events, the

arsonist in this case used an excessive amount of ignition items. He/she used a book of matches
when a single match would have sufficed.
The tactics and methods used by the suspect(s) were crude yet effective, with the result being
that the fire grew quickly and created significant damage to the body.

Motive:
Motives for fire setting can be broken down into two main categories, with multiple motives
within each category. The main categories are goal oriented fire setting and emotionally based
fire setting. The goal oriented arsonist has a specific goal in mind before he sets his fire. This
event is clearly classified as a goal oriented action, in that the target of the fire appears to be
the actual body of the female victim. She is the target of the attack as evidenced by gasoline
found specifically on her and the ignition source found specifically on her. The most common
reasons for the body to be destroyed by fire include the desire to prohibit identification of the
body, and the desire to destroy forensic evidence on or in the body. This motive is known as the
“crime concealment” or “anti-forensics” motive.
The crime concealment motive is most often found during fires set to cover up murders. It is my
experience that the arsonist in these types of cases believes that the fire will destroy all forensic
material at the scene. In some cases of rape/murder, it is not uncommon to find that the
arsonist has specifically poured a fuel into/onto the genital area in the mistaken belief that any
semen belonging to the suspect will be destroyed by flame.
Crime concealment/anti-forensic arson fires following murders are an emerging phenomenon in
that the general public through television and the media has a growing awareness of forensics
and DNA issues. These specific types of fires were rarer in 1991, but are becoming a bit more
common in recent years. Based on my conversations with thousands of criminals, ex-cons and
gang members, the criminal underworld is extremely aware of the value of forensics to law
enforcement, and they have engaged in jail house training or conversations on how to avoid
being captured.
In 1991, it was more common to find persons that had been in prison, had a close friend or
relative in prison or was a member of a street gang to be involved in anti-forensic behavior.
Street gang members when involved in serious criminal activity routinely wore gloves, masks,
bathed after shooting a gun, burned “get away” vehicles, or poured bleach, acid or some other
caustic substance in crime scenes to include rape and murder scenes. This fire is an extreme
example of anti-forensics behavior.

Targeting:
Normally, the target of the arson attack is the key to who the suspect is, and what the motive
may be. Arson is normally a very personal crime and the victim most often knows the suspect.
In most arson/murder cases the first persons to be considered and eliminated as potential
suspects are usually family members, romantic partners, and business partners. However, in
this event that may not be the case. The victim and her car appear to be in an area outside of
her normal comfort zone. This may be the reason as to why she was chosen as a target. I have
no information as to how the victim ended up where she was or why she was chosen as a target.
Autopsy Report and Coroner’s Findings:
As part of my normal duties, I review all coroner’s reports and findings regarding a fire death
case. As was noted earlier, I and some of my peers have some unique fire death training that
even many pathologists do not have as part of their education.
In this case I found some technical issues with the report by the Deputy Coroner, Dr. Hartman.
Specifically, at one point Dr. Hartman notes that the victim’s right hand is “avulsed at the wrist”,
indicating that the hand was traumatically detached from the arm. In fire deaths, the body
goes through a process called “flexion” where the muscles and tendons contract due to heat and
loss of water. This occurs 100% of the time, and typically the hands, arms, legs, neck and cheek
muscles contract into a predictable pose. Dr. Hartman refers to this as “contracture”, which is
also an acceptable term. However, in some cases the flexion/contracture process is so extreme
that at first glance, it gives off the visual appearance that the hands have been severed or
“avulsed” from the arms. In this case the right hand is fully present, is not “avulsed”, but is in
fact in such severe flexion that it has curled tightly against the right forearm. This technically
incorrect statement by the doctor is minor and does not affect this case.
Of more importance, Dr. Hartman’s report makes no mention of blood in the hair and on the
face of the victim which is visible in some of the scene photos. This sort of information is vital in
that it may indicate that the victim had pre-fire trauma. It is my experience in other fire death
cases, that the coroner’s assistants, prior to autopsy occasionally rinse a burned or smoke
stained body with water before the doctor sees it. I don’t know if that occurred in this case, but
if it did it may have caused any blood to be washed away. I do not have photos from the
coroner to view.
Another issue in the Autopsy Report is that I do not see any reference to the victim’s body
having been subject to X-rays or the fluoroscope. The burn damage to this victim is extreme,
particularly in the trunk and chest areas. The use of a fluoroscope is fairly normal on bodies
heavily impacted by fire, water immersion, and decomposition as it can locate foreign objects,
and damage to bones.

The coroner’s report, under “Central Nervous System” states that the victim has “extensive
subdural hemorrhage, probably secondary to burns”. In my experience and training, any
subdural hematoma (swelling) or hemorrhage (bleeding) is caused by trauma to the victim’s
head. This is consistent with the blood in the car and is indicative of pre-fire trauma to the
victim, specifically a blow to the head.
Additionally, on page 3 of the Autopsy Report the doctor describes three reddened areas on the
victim’s left forearm which could be “either thermal burns or recent contusions”. This statement
leaves open the possibility of bruising or pre-fire trauma.
On page 4 of the Autopsy Report the doctor describes the “distal tongue is burned”. Scene
photos show the tongue protruding through clenched teeth. This is a common effect during all
fire death investigations and at this point is not an indication if the victim was alive or deceased
at the time of the fire.
The important findings in the Autopsy Report are that the victim’s neck is undamaged by pre-
fire trauma and there is no soot in the upper airway. The pathologist also noted that the victim
had no measurable amounts of carbon monoxide levels in her blood. Both of these factors
normally indicate that the victim is deceased prior to the fire.
It should be noted, however, in certain rare instances, persons who commit suicide by dousing
themselves in a flammable liquid often have similar findings, as they will not have soot in their
airway and will not have a measurable amount of carbon monoxide within their blood, as during
their last breaths they are inhaling fire, and not smoke. As I opined earlier, the scene dictates
that this is not a suicide event.
Dr. Hartman, in his report appears to cover both possibilities. Dr. Hartman lists on the first page
of the Autopsy Report that the cause of death is “Thermal Burns”, and that there is “No other
evidence of traumatic injury”, when the scene factors (blood in hair and on t-shirt, body position
within the car, and “sub dural hemorrhaging” ) indicate that victim was dead prior to the fire. I
am in disagreement with Dr. Hartman on these points.
Later in the Opinion section of the report, Dr. Hartman writes that the autopsy findings “are
consistent with death prior to the burn injuries, or alternatively, flash burns”. The doctor then
finds that the “circumstances of the car fire suggest arson”.
The confusion caused by this statement is that the doctor referred to the car fire to classify the
overall incident a “homicide”, but did not refer to the circumstances within the car (blood, body
position) to find that the victim was deceased prior to the fire. This is somewhat contradictory
in his methodology.

Dr. Hartman’s use of the term “flash burns” is not entirely accurate and should probably be
removed from the report or at least amended. The term “flash burns” is a “term of art” in the
fire/arson investigation profession and generally refers to minor burns on the exterior of the
body due to a vapor explosion of flammable gasses or liquids. They are often minor in severity
and the victim usually recovers quickly from them. The victim in this case does not have flash
burns, but in fact has deep tissue burning/charring.
I believe that Dr. Hartman mistakenly used the term “flash burns” to convey that in some rare
cases a “flash fire” can cause the larynx to spasm and close, and thus prevent soot and smoke
from entering the airway. There is no physical evidence of a “flash fire” at this scene.
Overall Opinion
Based on my review of all of the below noted documents I have arrived at an overall opinion of
this event. The fire is incendiary in nature and was set by a person other than the victim. I
believe the victim was deceased prior to the fire starting. The blood at the scene as visible in
photos and as noted by investigators indicates that the victim suffered some form of pre-fire
trauma leading to her death. The autopsy report also gives indication of pre-fire trauma to the
victim.
The suspect(s) used a container to bring gasoline to the scene and poured it into the vehicle and
over the victim’s body. The suspect(s) then ignited the fire by lighting an entire matchbook and
throwing it onto the victim, where it ignited the vapors of the gasoline, causing a rapidly
growing fire. The suspect(s) then left the scene apparently carrying the gasoline container away
with them. The fire burned for no less than twenty minutes (and probably longer) before it was
extinguished. The ignition source, (matchbook) was found near the victim’s genital/anus area,
indicating that this was the likely specific target of the fire attack. The female victim’s body was
clearly the target for this fire, which makes crime concealment the overall motive for the fire
event.
Based on my extensive past experience and studies regarding body dump arsons, it is my further
opinion that it is very likely that the victim was killed at another location and then transported
to this spot as a body dump site. That opinion is partially based on the fact that the victim is in
an unnatural location within her own car. This is most likely due to the fact that the car is a
two-door model and it would be very difficult to place a dead body in the rear section of the car.
Additionally, the suspect would need to have driven the victim’s car to the scene and would
most likely not have taken the time to re-arrange the body once at the dump site. This crime
could have been accomplished by a single offender, who would then walk away from the scene,
or multiple offenders who would likely have left the scene in a “get away” vehicle.

An additional opinion is that it is most likely that the suspect in this case is from this area or
neighborhood, or has a degree of comfort and familiarity within this area. This eliminates a
large number of persons as probable suspects as the area was clearly a dangerous place to be in
that era.
My opinion is that the suspect is most likely from that area and also is somehow connected or
has experience with street gangs, jail and/or state prison.
The vehicle was not the target of the attack. The victim’s body was the target of the attack.
The two most likely crimes to be covered up by this fire are murder and sexual assault.

My curriculum vitae has been submitted to the prosecutor.
Reviewed Documents:
-Los Angeles City Fire Department Arson and Laboratory Report #9109290528
-Los Angeles Police Department Preliminary Investigation Report #91-1234807
-LAPD Death Investigation Report #91-1234807
-LAPD Follow Up Investigation Report #91-12-34087; dated 3-26-92
-LAPD Follow Up Investigation Report #91-12-34087; dated 9-20-12
-Los Angeles Coroner Investigator’s Report #91-08971, by Mitchell Sigal
-Los Angeles Coroner’s Autopsy Report #91-08971, by Dr. Burr Hartman
-Partial transcripts of LAFD Investigator Paul Blum

Detective Ed Nordskog
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
Arson/Explosives Detail

Case Conclusion:
In January of 2018, the case went to trial and Ed Nordskog testified as an arson expert and
criminal profiler. His testimony positively linked the suspect to the scene. The suspect, Ahjeeb

Boyd was convicted of murder and arson. In March of 2018, Boyd was sentenced to 30 years in
prison.