Los Angeles: On Sunday, June 23, 2002, at approximately 2:00 PM, Devonshire Area Patrol Officers responded to a radio call of an assault inside a condominium located in the 10600 block of Woodley Avenue. The 911 caller indicated a friend had discovered an unconscious victim inside the residence. Officers and Los Angeles Fire Department Rescue personnel entered the unit and discovered the lifeless body of a female victim lying in a bathroom. It appeared the victim had been stabbed to death.

The preliminary investigation focused on a former boyfriend of the victim as a possible suspect in the murder. On Monday, June 24, 2002, at 12:30 A.M., homicide detectives attempted to contact the victim’s ex-boyfriend for an interview. The detectives responded to the suspect’s apartment, situated on the top story of a three level complex, at 8111 Reseda Boulevard, in Reseda. The suspect refused to respond to multiple telephonic calls, and chose to ignore the repeated verbal announcements declaring the presence of uniformed police officers and detective personnel at his door.

The suspect’s actions escalated the situation into a barricaded suspect scenario. Patrol officers contained the exterior of the location and SWAT officers responded to the scene. Upon evacuating residents from several adjacent apartments, SWAT members initiated their tactical deployment. As the officers were deployed on the location the suspect leaped from his third story balcony toward the parking lot pavement below.

The suspect, identified as thirty year-old Marlon Crandel Smiley, was immediately taken into custody. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were on scene and rendered aid to the seriously injured suspect. He was subsequently transported to Northridge Hospital for further treatment, where he remains under police guard in stable condition. When his medical condition allows, he will be transported to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center, and booked for murder.

The victim was identified as Stacy Lynn Backer, twenty-six years of age.

Homicide Detectives B. Cochran and S. Lazarus are conducting the investigation. Anyone with information that may assist in this investigation is urged to call Devonshire detectives at 818-756-8291. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at Detective Information Desk, 1-877-LAWFULL.

This press release was prepared by Public Information Officer Eduardo Funes, Media Relation Section, 213-485-5386.