WEST HOLLYWOOD : Reward to Be Offered in Gay-Rights Activist’s Slaying
Anxious to help solve the slaying of a visiting gay-rights activist, West Hollywood is expected to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the slaying of Jon A. Simmons, a city official announced Wednesday.
Simmons, 38, of Chicago, was last seen in a West Hollywood coffeehouse on the night of Oct. 1, police said. His naked body was discovered with a single gunshot to the head in a Beverly Hills alley early the next morning.
Simmons had been a high-profile activist, serving as Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s liaison to the city’s gay and lesbian community. He had been vacationing in the Los Angeles area with his brother.
“Although Simmons’ body was found in Beverly Hills, we believe there may be people in West Hollywood who may have seen Jon Simmons that night,” West Hollywood City Councilman Paul Koretz said at a press conference Wednesday. The West Hollywood City Council is expected to formally approve the reward next week. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (310) 288-2650.
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