Crime & Safety
Man Sentenced To Life Without Parole For Murders Of 2 Homeless Men In Downtown LA
The defendant was also sentenced to one count each of attempted murder, grand theft auto and grand theft of a firearm.
LOS ANGELES, CA — An ex-con who was found guilty of a two-day shooting spree in downtown Los Angeles that left two homeless men dead and a third seriously injured was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter imposed the term on Clifford Chaun Loyer, 41, who was convicted June 3 of two counts each of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, along with one count each of attempted murder, grand theft auto and grand theft of a firearm.
Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, along with an allegation that he caused great bodily injury to the surviving victim, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
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The murder charges stemmed from the April 24, 2024, killing of Damon Beck, 65, and the April 25, 2024, slaying of Nelson Ramsdell, 34.
Gerald Beck told the judge that he didn't know why his brother and the other victims were chosen by Loyer.
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"If his intent was to hurt people, he's hurt a lot of people ...," he said.
Speaking directly to the defendant, he added, "... I will never forgive you for what you did to me and my family and other families."
Ramsdell's sister, Dawn Chamberlain, told the judge that her brother was the kind of man who "would have helped" the defendant.
"I hope you live a very long life and live with the guilt of this," she told the defendant.
In a statement released shortly after the verdict, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Loyer "armed himself with a stolen handgun and hunted human beings on the streets of downtown Los Angeles."
"He targeted three unhoused individuals, shooting each of them in the head and killing two," Hochman said. "This case shows exactly why people who commit acts of extreme violence must be taken off our streets before they can claim more victims."
Hochman said the surviving victim "displayed extraordinary courage" and testified with a bullet still lodged in his neck.
