http://abc7.com/news/music-video-producers-disappearance-is-suspicious-police-say/561521/
RSBM, BBM
My worst fear is that they took his life. It's been a month, so what else can you think
says father RC Sr.
Ray Collins' family says
they last saw the 29-year-old leave his home in Chino on
Feb. 15.
His car was found abandoned on a Compton street with
his wallet still inside. There has been no activity on his cellphone or social media accounts.
"He is trying to help up-and-coming rap artists do their music videos. So, that's what makes this suspicious because he has had plans during that week to video tape some rap videos," said Detective Toni Martinez with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities say he is not a gang member. This does not mean the people he went to meet are not gang affiliated or in the center of a hot zone - IMO they probably are. Compton is a heavily gang-controlled area, and I think anyone can put two and two together here. My guess is that he ended up in the middle of some bad juju that probably had nothing directly to do with him - either a drive-by or shootup of the location he was in. I believe there were definitely multiple people involved, and that none of them have a direct link or motive to kill him. Knowling how they roll, his body was disappeared in a pro cleanup while his car was dumped, and the car is probably totally clean. The key will be in finding out who he was meeting, and identifying the man seen walking away from his car. Based on what I know of gangs and how they operate, I doubt very much the body will ever be found, but at the very least this man deserves to have his killer(s) found (and I do believe he is deceased). Hopefully this is an important part of a larger investigation that spurrs the Compton police to bring down the people responsible. and that they are working with Chino PD on this.
Here is his Twitter:
https://twitter.com/rayrich310
Here is the official bulletin from Chino police:
https://nixle.com/alert/5374773/
The one thing that gives me pause about the "caught in the thick of it" theory:
On Monday, February 16, 2015, at approximately 2:00 A.M., Mr. Collins was seen leaving the area of Alondra Boulevard and Dwight Avenue in his dark grey, Toyota Camry. Approximately one hour later, 3:00 A.M., witnesses observed a male black exit Mr. Collins’ vehicle and walk east on Raymond Street and out of view.
This gives us approx an hour from when (who?) said they last saw him to when the second man was seen getting out of the car. The way this is described makes me think it is indeed a separate person, and that LE have verified from the witness accounts that this is probably not RC due to height or clothing or other descriptors. If the last-seen time is true, this means RC met up with someone or left with this person, disappeared, and person #2 dumped the car. The chance of him meeting up with accidental death in this one hour timespan requires a good dose of bad luck, but should not be ruled out if it was something like a drug run.
Based on known facts, here is my gut:
1. Caught in the thick of it: 50%
2. Pre-meditated murder: 20%
3. Accidental death: 20%
4. Alive and voluntarily missing: 10%
Black middle-aged men never get the attention they deserve in these cases, sadly, and should not be ignored or forgotten. I will keep digging.