ERWIN SANTOS MURDERED

[Phil Horne]

Just two days before he was to move from the apartment building he shared with Larry *** (former owner of Powerhouse Bar), Erwin Santos was murdered.  He was found dead in his bed.  I saw Erwin just days before.  He was going to work and looking forward to moving out.  He had an ongoing dispute with Larry and had entered into an agreement with Larry under which Larry was going to pay him to move out.  The payment was to be made on January 1st.  Erwin was found dead on December 30th.

 

If anyone wants to discuss this matter with me, please do so privately by emailing me or calling me.

[KOMEDASF]

oh my f'in god. I thought he had already moved and was out of there.
that's what the woman from Cafe Int'l told me.

[Phil Horne]

I went to the Medical Examiner to tell him facts related to Erwin's death that cause me to be very concerned.

 

Erwin had just changed the beneficiary on his life insurance shortly before his death to his ex-convict boyfriend and had an onging dispute with his landlord.

 

I talked to the landlord.  I am fairly convinced that the landlord/tenant dispute was resolved.  And the landlord was out of town. 

 

The landlord is also concerned about Erwin's death and suspects the ex-convict boyfriend.

 

I learned that Erwin also changed the payable on death beneficiary on his 401k plan months before he died.

 

Unfortunately the Medical Examiner gave me "Erwin was very sick."  Actually, Erwin was not very sick.  Yes, he had had cancer and he was HIV.  But Erwin was recovered from the cancer--years ago--and in successful "cocktail" treatment for the HIV. 

 

Erwin was working about 60 hours a week for Southwest Airlines as a baggage handler.  Not something a person could do while ill.

 

I saw Erwin on the 25th.  He was in great spirits and off to work.  He was not sick.  Moises and I were fighting of course and Erwin passed us on his way to work.  He gave us big hugs and wished us "Merry Christmas."  I returned, "We're athiests."  

 

I probably joked to Moises, "Boy, I could just kill Eriwn."  

 

Ironic.  For the past 24 hours I have been in a shock and sadness.  Erwin was a client, a hard worker, a Latino, a homo, a fellow HIV survivor, a cancer survivor, and an inspiration for merely surviving in this aweful world.  

 

Just a couple of months ago, Erwin was officially "disowned" by his "loving" family.  

 

Erwin was found on the 30th.  He had been dead for three days.

 

Please follow the death of Erwin Santos and ensure that the death of a working class man, a gay man, a Latino, and a man with HIV is taken just as seriously as the death of John Travolta's son is being taken.  

[Phil Horne]

Erwin lived at 237 Laussat Street in the Lower Haight.  That was where he was murdered on or about 2008 December 27.  IF YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE RELATED TO THIS CRIME, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER AT 850 BRYANT.  PLEASE DO SO IN WRITING AND CC ME Phil Horne, 377 Hermann Street, San Francisco 94117 as I am trying to make sure that the Medical Examiner follows up on all leads and fully investigates the murder of my friend.