Public’s Help Asked in Finding Killer of Silent Theater’s Owner
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Seeking public help to solve a baffling murder, Los Angeles police Friday released a composite sketch of the man who allegedly killed the proprietor of the Silent Movie theater in the Fairfax district last week.
Meanwhile, city officials announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the killer’s arrest and conviction.
The man was described by witnesses as 18 to 24 years old with short-cropped hair and a light mustache, wearing a black wool coat, a black T-shirt and a black cap turned backward. He fatally shot Laurence Austin, 74, in the ticket booth of the tiny movie house and wounded a 19-year-old clerk during a robbery Jan. 17.
Police said the suspect reportedly watched about 30 minutes of short movies inside the theater with 80 other patrons before venturing to the lobby. There, he asked for the manager and then shot Austin and the clerk. He fled through the theater, shooting over the heads of the audience, and out a rear emergency exit.
Anyone with information can call LAPD Hollywood Division detectives at (213) 485-6410 or LAPD detective headquarters at (213) 485-2504.
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