March for Justice

We are organizing a march in San Francisco on June 14 to demand justice for our murdered friend Hugues de la Plaza, as well as for some 350 murders in recent years that have yet to be solved - or worse yet - be properly investigated by the San Francisco police.

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Hall of Justice -
Street: 850 Bryant Street
City/Town: San Francisco, CA

Facebook Event
Yahoo Upcoming Event



We are asking for your support on this march in body - or in spirit. We, and others friends and family members of SF homicide victims, will march on the Hall of Justice and City Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday June 14 to demand that the San Francisco police and city officials do their job.

Please find our itinerary for the march, including the meeting spot. The march will end with an 8 p.m. vigil in front of Hugues' apartment, 462 Linden Street. Also, please find below slogans, posters and flyers that you can download for the march. The more visual our statement, the better! And please, please encourage your like-minded friends to join us. This march is not just for Hugues, but for justice and safety of all San Franciscans.

We have serious concerns about the way in which Hugues' murder investigation has been handled. Hugues was an ordinary person, special to few, unknown to many. Regardless, his murder - as well as more than 350 other unsolved murders in San Francisco - deserves a thorough and complete investigation.

Please join our march. Tell a friend.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Friends and family of Hugues de la Plaza

Read on for background on Hugues' case:

Hugues de la Plaza, a 36-year old sound engineer was found stabbed to death in his Hayes Valley apartment the morning of June 2nd. Hugues was both an American and French citizen.

In Sept. 2006, the Office of the Legislative Analyst reported, that, from 2004 through Oct. 2006, the city had 253 homicides and only ONE conviction. Worse yet, in 2007, San Francisco experienced the highest murder rate in 10 years, with another 100 homicides committed.

More than a YEAR have passed since Hugues death and yet:

We have learned that the San Francisco Police Department has neglected to test blood, fingernails, fingerprints collected from the crime scene - including PULLED SCALP HAIR found in Hugues' hands.

We still don't have a crime scene report.

Homicide has not replied to Hugues' parents for months. The De la Plazas sent an e-mail FIVE MONTHs ago requesting an update on the case. No reply.

The autopsy report, released EIGHT months after the murder, contains a police narrative with serious errors, including a leading misrepresentation of Hugues' mental state.

We still await the results of DNA analysis of the blood supposedly taken from the crime scene. Was it taken? Processed?

Witnesses and contacts have been neglected, too.

The last person known to have seen Hugues alive called Homicide dozens of times, leaving messages. He was not interviewed for five days.

The last person known to have talked by phone with Hugues also contacted Homicide immediately. Homicide did not return his call for two weeks.

Hugues' next-door neighbor told police who arrived at the crime scene he had heard doors slamming and series of footsteps at 2:38 a.m. the night Hugues was murdered. His information was not recorded

In addition, we are concerned about the lack of electronic expertise within the homicide department.

Hugues' parents were alarmed enough to hire an American private investigator, John Murphy, and alert the French government. The French government then assigned a French police detective to assist Homicide with the case.

If not for this French detective, Hugues' laptop would still sit untouched. Homicide told the French police detective they could not break into it. In September, FOUR months after the murder, the French detective was permitted to bring two IT professionals -- on the French government's dime-- to break into the drive.

Further, Hugues' cell phone was neglected by SFPD for some time. They were unable to analyze his text messages. It has been sent to France for analysis.

Hugues email accounts were not accessed for months. Homicide at first suggested the family pursue the email providers themselves.

Finally, we were told SFPD does not know how to triangulate cell phone signals.

We call on the government of San Francisco, including Mayor Gavin Newsom, SFPD Chief Heather Fong, District Attorney Kamala Harris and the Police Commission to carry out their elected duties to serve and protect the citizens of San Francisco.

We demand a review of the murder investigation and an account for the appalling manner in which is has been handled. We hold you accountable.