Police charge third suspect in 1995 Encanto homicide
ENCANTO (KUSI) – A third man has been charged in the cold case killing of a woman shot to death on the streets of southeastern San Diego 20 years ago, the San Diego Police Department announced Wednesday.
On Saturday, April 29, 1995, 18 year old Crystal Odom was shot and killed in the 6500 block of Akins Avenue. At the time of the murder, Crystal was driving a vehicle with her boyfriend while their 10 month old daughter was in a rear car seat. A vehicle occupied by five suspects began to follow the victim’s vehicle to Akins Avenue and pulled up to the driver’s side door.
Several gunshots were fired into the vehicle, fatally injuring Odom. At the time, SDPD Homicide Detectives processed the scene and collected evidence, but the case remained unsolved for the past twenty years.
During the last four months, the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Cold Case Unit received additional information which identified the suspects in the murder of Crystal Odom. Based on this new information, detectives, in conjunction with the District Attorney’s Office, conducted extensive investigative follow-ups to bring forward a prosecutable case.
On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, San Diego Police Homicide Detectives charged 38 year old Aswad Amirah Walker with the murder of Crystal Odom. Walker has been serving a sentence at Centinela State Prison for an unrelated felony conviction. He will be arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on Thursday, September 10, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. in Department #47.
Two additional suspects; 37 year old Jamar Phillips and 37 year old Samuel Sayles are in custody and have already been arraigned for the murder of Crystal Odom.
The investigation is ongoing and future arrests are anticipated.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
