1992 Bloodiest Year in Oakland History
The discovery Monday of a slain kidnap victim pushed to 167 the number of murders in a city that only hours earlier eclipsed the previous single-year homicide record, set last year.
Eric Dorrough, 22, was found shot to death near a junior high school, said homicide Lt. Mike Sims. The victim had been taken from his home at gunpoint Sunday night.
“We got a call from his wife that the husband was kidnaped but there were no ransom demands,” said Sims. “We are talking to the wife and trying to get an identification on the gunman.”
Police had no immediate suspects in that case, or in the death of Connie Lee Darden, 24, killed Sunday in a drive-by shooting.
The slaying of the mother of two brought the homicide total to 166, making 1992 the bloodiest year in Oakland history.
So far this year, the city of 376,000 has a rate of 4.4 murders for every 10,000 people--three times San Francisco’s murder rate and eight times that of San Jose.
Drugs and domestic disputes have been linked to most of Oakland’s homicides, each accounting for 25% of the murders, police said.
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