Must read crime story of the day

If you haven't yet, you have to check out The Times' story today on an old unsolved murder case that was recently closed with the arrest of a trucker who ran down and killed freelance photographer Douglas Burrows then fled to Mexico.

Fourteen years ago, freelance photographer Douglas Burrows was broadsided by a 18-wheeler in downtown Los Angeles — a fatal hit-and-run that seemed destined to fade into obscurity.

The alleged truck driver, Rogelio Pereira, fled to Mexico. The Burrows case remained active, but investigators always seemed to be inundated with more immediate — and pressing — cases.

Still, there was one constant: Every year around the anniversary of his son's 1993 death, John Burrows would place a call to detectives at the LAPD's Central Traffic Division to see if investigators had made any progress.

Vacations, promotions, transfers and retirements meant that nearly every time Burrows called, there was somebody new to talk to.

Each time, Burrows insisted on telling the story of his photographer son. He told the officer about Doug's struggle to overcome being born with a cleft pallet, requiring 30 operations to repair.

latimes