Life without parole for 2001 Compton shooting that killed a father and his 2-year-old daughter, 25 years later

-
The Southbound 105 headline graphic: life without parole in 2001 Compton shooting

DNA testing tied Smith to the gun years after the shooting; his attorney called it "a case of incompetence," not a cold case.

By Alberto Zamudio | The Southbound 105 | Oct. 15, 2026

More than 25 years after a gang shooting killed a father and his 2-year-old daughter outside a family member's home, a Los Angeles County judge sentenced the man convicted in the case to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jahon Terez Smith, 50, was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 13, in a Compton courtroom, according to MyNewsLA and a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Judge Kelvin D. Filer imposed the term, MyNewsLA reported.

The crime

On Aug. 8, 2001, Smith drove through the 13100 block of South Willowbrook Avenue, intending to kill rival gang members, as he and his front passenger fired guns from the car, the DA's office said. Stephen Murphy, 25, was carrying his 2-year-old daughter, Kali, in his arms as they fled the gunfire. Both were killed by a single bullet fired by the passenger, who has never been identified or located, according to the DA.

Authorities said earlier that Murphy and his daughter were visiting his grandmother, and that Murphy was about to put his daughter in the back seat of his car when the shooting started, MyNewsLA reported. Prosecutors say Smith also tried to kill three other people that evening; two were shot and survived. The prosecutor wrote that Smith shot two people in the head, leaving them permanently scarred, and tried to kill a man whose car door stopped the bullet.

The verdict

A jury found Smith guilty in August of two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder, and found true a special-circumstance allegation of multiple murders, the DA's office said. MyNewsLA reported the verdict came Aug. 14 and that jurors also found true allegations that Smith personally discharged a firearm during the attempted murders.

It was the second jury to hear the case. The first deadlocked 11-1, with the majority favoring guilt, in October 2025, MyNewsLA reported. Smith was arrested Oct. 30, 2023, by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

How a 2001 case was solved

Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson wrote in a sentencing memorandum that "the investigation was dormant for over two decades, but DNA testing tied the defendant to the gun he used in the shootings, and in late 2023, he was charged with the crimes," MyNewsLA reported. The DA's office said DNA evidence linked Smith to the crimes. The case, number TA161231, was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Paul Thompson and Esther Kim and investigated by the Sheriff's Department.

What the defense said

Smith's attorney, Maryam Mazhin, noted that Smith was "not the actual killer" of Murphy and his daughter and that the gunman "has not been caught," MyNewsLA reported. She said new detectives took over the case in 2023 "under the misnomer of this being a cold case," adding: "This is not a cold case. This is a case of incompetence." She argued the defense does not have evidence that could have exonerated her client.

Prosecutors' position, as stated in the DA's release, is that the shootings were the result of gang violence.

The family

The judge heard victim impact statements from members of Murphy's family. His mother, Phyllis Murphy, said she was "devastated" to lose her youngest child and her granddaughter, MyNewsLA reported. A statement read on behalf of Kali's mother, Shawnna King, said "they deserved to live." District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in the release: "Stephen Murphy did what any father would do when he tried to shield his daughter from the gunshots."

The judge called the statements "powerful" and said Murphy "showed tremendous courage" and "the ultimate love" in trying to get his daughter to safety, according to MyNewsLA.

What's next

  • The unidentified shooter: the DA's release says the person who fired the fatal shot has never been identified or located. A family friend urged Smith in court to tell authorities who was in the car, MyNewsLA reported.
  • Appeal: convictions in California trials like this one are typically eligible for appeal; no filing has been reported.
  • Investigating agency: the DA's release identifies the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as the agency that investigated the case.

Want more local news? Read more at The Southbound 105.

Sources

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flea-borne typhus outbreak confirmed in Wilshire Center as LA County cases keep climbing

-
Image
Seven people sickened and six hospitalized in the county's second neighborhood typhus cluster of 2026. Health officials say the risk reaches well beyond Koreatown. LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County health officials are investigating an outbreak of flea-borne typhus in Wilshire Center, the dense Mid-Wilshire neighborhood that overlaps Koreatown, after seven people with symptoms were linked to the cluster. Six of the seven were hospitalized. All have recovered, the Department of Public Health said when it announced the outbreak on Tuesday, Sept. 22. It is the second flea-borne typhus outbreak the department has reported this year. The first, announced July 29, involved five people in nearby Pico-Union; all five were hospitalized and later recovered. Countywide, Public Health has counted 109 typhus cases so far in 2026. As of Friday, Sept. 25, the department had not announced any additional cases tied to the Wilshire Center cluster. As flea-borne typhus cases continue to inc...
Read more

Tropical Storm Rachel surf forces evacuations on Long Beach Peninsula; 8 buildings red-tagged

-
Image
Cover photo: File photo (Alamitos Bay and the Peninsula, 2015; not storm damage) by Don Ramey Logan , CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; cropped, darkened and text added by The Southbound 105. By The Southbound 105 | Oct. 10, 2026 LONG BEACH — Long Beach ordered oceanfront residents on the Peninsula to leave their homes Friday night after surf from Tropical Storm Rachel broke through the bulkhead that protects Seaside Walk, sending seawater into homes and side streets. The mandatory evacuation order covers homes on Seaside Walk between 64th and 66th places, the 6400 and 6500 blocks. It took effect at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, and runs through noon Tuesday, Oct. 13, city officials said, adding that the return date could change as conditions evolve. Residents of nine properties were told to go. Eight buildings too dangerous to enter City inspectors red-tagged eight buildings, covering 13 addresses, in the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, meaning they are considered too dangero...
Read more

Nightclub, Tahiti trip and ‘ghost’ clients: Feds charge three in LA homelessness-fraud crackdown

-
Image
A Culver City nonprofit founder is accused of diverting more than $7.5 million meant for homeless housing through sham vendors. His arraignment is set for Oct. 22, and prosecutors say more cases are coming. LOS ANGELES — Federal prosecutors on Wednesday, Sept. 16, charged three people tied to Los Angeles-area homelessness nonprofits with fraud and bribery, alleging that money meant to house unhoused people paid instead for a nightclub, luxury travel, a vintage car restoration and video games. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, HUD Secretary Scott Turner and District Attorney Nathan Hochman were among the officials at the downtown announcement. “Nobody was minding the shop. There's no vetting. There's no auditing. There's no accounting. It was just a rush to push as much money out the door. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, responding to a question from LAist All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty; the charges are allegations. ...
Read more