User:Enchanted Fire/sandbox

On January 27, 1992, George Cloyd, a 53 year old prominent Oakland Black businessman was murdered by his son, Michael O'neil Cloyd with a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the predawn hours.

An internal audit had revealed that his son Michael had embezzled several thousand dollars from the company. He was subsequently fired. In November of 1991, a few weeks before the murder, a confrontation between him and his son Michael occured that ended with his son brandishing a loaded shotgun at him and he telling Michael to leave. A week later, his son steals his vehicle to get his attention which resulted in him being charged a misdemeanor for joyriding. Two day before the murder, his son left a message on Cloyd's telephone answering machine stating, “You have 48 hours to live, 48 hours.”

In the early morning of January 27th, 1992, Michael O'neil Cloyd drove to the home of George Cloyd, to confront him. Upon entry of the residence, an argument ensued in which pushing and shoving occured. At some point, his son went out to the car and returned armed with a 12 gauge shotgun. The argument continued and it ended with his son firing the shotgun at his father from a distance of approximately ten feet. The blast from the shotgun struck him on the left side of his face causing major trauma. It was estimated that this type of injury would result in death within a few minutes. After killing him, his son attempted to clean up the site of the murder and placed his body in the basement of the residence inside a hidden room behind a bookshelf. Michael then removed large portions of blood stained carpet after failing in his efforts to clean the carpet with a commercial shampooer, which he rented after the murder. He removed several of Cloyd's personal affects including a computer, a wallet with credit cards, and personal files. Michael then discarded the shotgun at the San Leandro Marina and later feigned ignorance of any knowledge of Cloyd's disappearance.