On May 24th, 1990, at approximately 3:00 PM, the victim William Tillett, then eleven years old, was kidnapped while walking home from school in the area of Imperial Highway and Crenshaw Blvd., in the City of Inglewood. William was found murdered later that day, his body located in a residential neighborhood in the City of Hawthorne.
On February 14th, 2019, Inglewood Police Department Homicide Detectives identified and arrested Edward Donell Thomas (DOB: 07/10/1968, age 50) a resident of Pomona for the kidnapping and murder of William Tillett. Thomas was arrested on a probable cause arrest warrant charging him with murder, and later booked into the Inglewood City Jail.
On Tuesday, February 19th, 2019, the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for filing consideration. The District Attorney filed special circumstances murder and felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas is being held without bail. Refer DA case BA475163.
Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to contact Inglewood Police Department Homicide Detectives Han or Oppelt at 310-412-5246, via the 24 hour anonymous tip line at “888- 41-CRIME” (888-412-7463), or with Crime Stoppers. Inglewood case# 90-9864.