RIP: April 2008 Archives

The Department of Coroner is apparently backing off earlier statements about the mysterious death of Ernesto Fraye. On Monday Coroner's Lt. Fred Corral said that an investigator from his office believed Fraye died as the result of a suicide.

The investigator visited the scene in Pico Rivera where Frayre was shot to death and made the determination in his narrative of the case, Corral said Monday.

Sheriff's detectives viewing the same scene called Fraye's demise "a criminal death."

Frayre, 24, was found in his car on Sideview Drive, just North of Shade Lane and Rivera Park about 10 a.m. Sunday.

On Tuesday, the department of coroner decided to withhold judgment in the case and are beginning to question the theory of suicide, Chief Coroner's investigator Craig Harvey told City News Service.

Among Harvey's revelations to CNS, no gun was found at the scene.

On Sunday morning, Frayre's body was found sitting in the driver's seat of a Ford sedan. He appeared to have been shot in the head, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said, however it was not clear how many times he had been shot. At the time of the discovery, officials did not say if a gun was recovered at the scene.

A witness who spoke to reporter Brian Day, but declined to give his name for fear of retaliation, said he heard gunshots in the area shortly after 3:30 a.m. About three hours later, the witness said he walked down the street and saw the car with Fraye inside but didn't realize he was dead and thought nothing of it.

Fraye had been married Saturday night, friends and family members said.

Tuesday afternoon a makeshift memorial had been placed near where Fraye had died. At left is a photo of Fraye and the memorial.