Murder or Suicide? | Hughes de la Plaza
The police and the family of Hughes de la Plaza are at odds. One believes that he committed suicide while the other insists this is a homicide. Fifteen years later, the case remains unsolved.
On June 7th, 2007, 36-year-old Hugues de la Plaza walked home from a bar in San Franciso at around 2 am. This would be the last time his friends ever saw him alive. His death and the mystery surrounding it would make international news.
De la Plaza was an audio engineer with dual French and American citizenship. He was said to be celebrating on the night of his murder because he had just gotten a new job with LeapFrog. Most of what happened after Hughes left the bar is quite the mystery.
The bar was just a ten-minute walk from de la Plaza’s apartment, one unit of a triplex located on Linden Street. He is seen returning home on a neighbor’s security camera.
Sometime before 3 am, one of de la Plaza’s neighbors reported hearing a thud. He then claims to have heard the front door of Hughes’ apartment open and close. He heard it open and close again just a few minutes later followed by footsteps running down the stairs. He went on to claim, “It didn’t sound like a scuffle going on at all.”
The following morning, another neighbor went out to get the newspaper and found the front porch covered in blood.
When police arrived, there was no answer when they knocked on the door. They began looking through windows and saw blood on the floor in de la Plaza’s kitchen. After breaking in through the back door, they discovered Hughes de la Plaza dead. He had sustained a stab to the neck, chest, and abdomen.
Here is where this case takes an unexpected turn.
Both deadbolts, on the front and back doors, were in place. There was no evidence of forced entry.
Due to the lack of evidence of another person being present at the scene of the crime, police began to believe that Hughes de la Plaza had committed suicide. There were no other footprints at the scene. The doors were locked. De la Plaza had not yelled for help or attempted to call 911.
Upset with the way the San Fransisco Police Department was handling the case, De la Plaza’s parents in France hired a private investigator. They also filed a complaint against the SFPD with the French Government.
Forensic experts were sent to San Fransisco from France to examine the evidence. Their findings were quite different from those of the San Fransisco Police Department. According to a press conference held by Hughes’ father Francois, the French investigators determined the case to be a homicide. They believed that Hughes de la Plaza had opened his front door and been attacked. He retreated back into his home, locking the door behind him. Before Hughes could call for help, he died due to blood loss. He went on to claim that:
“Based on the angle of entrance, he could not have done it himself.”
The knife used to make de la Plaza’s wounds was never found.
After the international conflict, the San Fransisco Police Department had the case reviewed by outside sources. The other sources had conflicting conclusions, as well.
The Los Angeles Police Department speculated that the cause of death was likely suicide.
Meanwhile, former Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Fernec believed the incident to be a homicide. He concluded that the blood splatter outside the apartment was consistent with the arm movements required to plunge and remove a knife. He believed that de la Plaza’s attacker was likely standing on the lower landing of the front porch when he attacked. De la Plaza would likely have had only enough time to get inside and lock the door before bleeding out.
This case still remains open and unsolved. There are currently no suspects and Hughes de la Plaza’s death remains undetermined. De la Plaza’s friends and family are pushing for the case to be reopened as a murder.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-mystery-a-case-for-murder/
https://hoodline.com/2013/06/in-pursuit-of-justice-the-story-of-hugues-de-la-plaza/
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-man-found-dead-17165727.php