case

“Historically, for many departments, overdose deaths were just treated as accidental; it’s sad, but it is what it is,” said Dean, who heads the task force and assisted with Jax’s case.

In many cases, homes worth more than $1 million prior to the fires were purchased for less than half that amount decades ago.

Should farming interests push to protect and retain the undocumented workers who have toiled in the country’s fields for years and who, in many cases, have families and community roots?

The case became known as the Essex Boys killings, and has been the subject of countless TV dramas, films, documentaries and books, which examined its links to other high-profile homicides and the 1990s rave scene.

On Tuesday, the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs — the union representing rank-and-file deputies — said Gardner’s handling of the case “deserves praise” and criticized the department’s decision to fire him.