On December 5, 2000 in the early evening 48-year-old Willie Hamilton was knocked to the ground and attacked by two males. Hamilton was kicked and beaten and sustained a closed head injury consistent with being hit with some type of blunt object. He died on April 1, 2001 as a result of his injuries. Hamilton had a history of mental illness but he was considered friendly and well-liked by neighbors. He was also well-known in his neighborhood because he ran a business of selling incense and pictures on street corners in the neighborhood.