LA Forensics: The Keystone Diamond
Lombardi Comes Clean
Five years later, in 1988, Lombardi was arrested again for another burglary. Giving police information on Scott kept him out of trouble the last time; maybe it would work again. He asked for a deal in exchange for giving up more information. The DA agreed to charge him with two burglaries instead of five, resulting in a maximum of three years in prison.
Lombardi told police that several days before William's murder, Scott talked about wanting to steal his grandfather's jewelry. Scott was angry that William wouldn't pay for his college tuition and he felt entitled to the jewelry.
Lombardi reiterated his information from years ago — that Scott came to him several days after the murder asking how to alter fingerprints and beat a polygraph. But there was more. Scott also confessed at that time, Lombardi said.
"I ripped off my grandfather and had a little problem," Scott told Lombardi.
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Detective Ray Hernandez
The case was reopened. Ramsdell no longer worked homicides at the North Hollywood station, so Detective Ray Hernandez decided to look into it. Hernandez was a very tenacious detective, someone who had a reputation of delivering the goods required to make a strong case. Prosecutors loved him.
"My partner and I opened the unsolved murder book and delved into it with both hands and feet," he said later. "Our suspect was a grandson. To me, a grandson and a grandfather...that doesn't sit well with any normal person so that just gave us more energy."
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