Police Investigate 3 Stabbing Deaths

Los Angeles homicide detectives are investigating the stabbing deaths of three South-Central Los Angeles residents whose bodies were found in their converted garage apartment.

The bodies of Myrtle Vera Johnson, 49, Lacy Albert, 58, and John Sumpter, 67, were discovered Monday, but police and neighbors said the three probably were killed sometime over the weekend.

The victims were found by Johnson’s brother, who stopped by the East 47th Street apartment because he had been unable to reach his sister, a nearby resident said. Police said they had yet to determine a motive for the attack.

Many people on the busy street said the apartment was a gathering place for neighborhood drinkers. The three had lived in the unit for several years.

A neighbor said she had seen Albert on Saturday and heard no unusual noises coming from the apartment since then. “There were always people dropping by there, but since Saturday no one has been there,” she said.

The neighbor said she went to the back-yard unit shortly after the discovery of the bodies. The apartment was cluttered but there were no signs of a struggle, she said, and a pot of food had been left cooking on the stove. The bodies were in the kitchen and living room.