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Woman charged with murder in 'senseless killing' of LA music producer in Santa Monica

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Published  January 31, 2024 9:08am PST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 11

Homeless woman charged with murder of LA music producer

According to police, the victim, William Edwards III, 46, was sitting in his car the morning of Jan. 25 in the 2600 block of 29th Street when he was allegedly shot by the suspect, later identified as 27-year-old Kayla Delise Mackie.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - New details were released Wednesday about the investigation into the shooting death of a Los Angeles music producer in Santa Monica last week. 

According to police, the victim, William Edwards III, 46, was sitting in his car the morning of Jan. 25 in the 2600 block of 29th Street when he was allegedly shot by the suspect, later identified as 27-year-old Kayla Delise Mackie. Edwards was taken to the hospital where he later died. 

The motive remains under investigation.

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Police arrested Mackie in West Los Angeles a day later. An investigation revealed Mackie is responsible for additional crimes in Los Angeles - including an armed robbery and attempted homicide, police said. 

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón filed a murder charge against Mackie in connection with the homicide of Edwards, as well as additional charges related to the Los Angeles crimes.

According to police, the victim, William Edwards III, 46, was sitting in his car the morning of Jan. 25 in the 2600 block of 29th Street when he was allegedly shot by the suspect, later identified as 27-year-old Kayla Delise Mackie. / Santa Monica PD

Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock called Edwards' death a "senseless killing."

"My heart goes out to William's family and friends, and my thoughts are with all who were affected by this tragic event," he said. "While nothing can take away the pain this incident has brought to our community, I am proud of the outstanding work our officers showed to quickly apprehend the suspect and ensure she is brought to justice. I stand behind the strong message from Santa Monica Police: There is no place for any type of violence, particularly gun violence, in our city."

Those who knew Edwards told FOX 11 he was a father to two young boys. He had a small recording studio in Hollywood, rogue.black studios, and worked with artists like Travis Scott and Lil Cobaine.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Tavera at Ismael.Tavera@santamonica.gov, Detective Sergeant Gradle at Ryan.Gradle@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.