Mistaken Identity: Lanai Dees

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: A young nursing student. A white Mercedes. A midnight drive through South LA. When 21-year-old Lanai Dees is gunned down in what authorities call a case of mistaken identity, the questions begin piling up. No suspects. No clear motive. Just a quiet alley, a hail of bullets, and a family shattered by grief. Was this truly random… or is there something more hiding in the shadows? Anyone with information about this case should contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. 

This is the story Lanai Dees.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
discussing a case that takes place in South Los Angeles
where a promising young nursing student driving alone in her

(00:20):
white Mercedes was gunned down in what authorities call a
case of mistaken identity. But was it really random or
is there more beneath the surface? This is the story
of Lanaids. Twenty one year old Lanai Ariana Dees had

(00:45):
her entire life ahead of her. Born on January twenty fifth,
two thousand and three, she was a college student, a
hard worker, and a beloved sister and daughter. She was
studying nursing, a field that fit her perfectly. Those who
knew Launai say she was sweet, empathetic, and always looking

(01:09):
out for others. Her brother, Jordan Des described her as
a very sweet, very kind, and amazing person. On the
night of November sixteenth, twenty twenty four, Lenai was out
driving her white Mercedes Benz in the South Los Angeles area.

(01:32):
It was late just after midnight, and she was traveling
westbound in an alley between Wilton Place and van Ness Avenue.
The location was just south of Century Boulevard, in an
area known as West Athens. It was dark, quiet, but

(01:53):
the silence was shattered around twelve forty a m. Witnesses
say a dark colored midsize suv suddenly pulled up alongside
Lenai's car. Within moments, shots rang out. Someone inside the

(02:14):
suv opened fire into her vehicle. A single bullet struck
Lenai in the head. Unable to control her vehicle, she
crashed the car into a concrete staircase. When first responders arrived,
it was too late. Lenai D's was pronounced dead at

(02:38):
the scene. There were no signs of a personal dispute,
no evidence that she had been followed, and perhaps most
chilling of all, no clear motive. As investigators poured over
the details, a theory emerged. This may have been a

(03:00):
related shooting, but not because Lenai was involved in any way.
Detectives now believed she was not the intended target, just
a victim of being in the wrong place at the
wrong time. But what does that mean? Exactly wrong place,

(03:22):
wrong time? Why was she in that particular alley at
that hour? Did she know something or someone. Her brother says,
all they know is that she possibly was visiting a
friend in.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
That area, but according.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
To her family, she had no enemies, no known connections
to gang activity, and no reason to be targeted. In
the aftermath, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department began digging deeper.
Forensics teams scoured the scene. Surveillance footage which in the

(04:00):
area was reviewed. Detectives canvassed neighborhoods, but the trail grew
cold fast. There were no license plates identified on the
suspect vehicle, no arrests, no suspect's name, just an endless
void of unanswered questions. However, authorities have remained persistent in

(04:26):
breaking the case. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
authorized a ten thousand dollars reward for information leading to
an arrest and conviction, a plea to the public for help.
For Lenai's family, the pain is unbearable. Her brother Jordan,

(04:50):
described the nightmare of getting the call. He remembers the shock,
the denial, and the rage. He told reporters, we don't
have any leads. We don't know why this happened, and
that's the hardest part. While law enforcement holds onto the

(05:11):
theory of mistaken identity. Others in the community have raised
questions around safety policing and the frequency of unsolved shootings
in South LA, leaving many wondering how many more families
have to suffer before something changes. At just twenty one

(05:32):
years old, Leni D's had dreams, goals, and a life
she was building, but instead that life was violently stolen.
Anyone with information about the murder of Leni D's to
contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau. To

(05:55):
remain anonymous, you can also call crime Stoppers. You can
find their information in the description box below. As we
close out this episode, don't forget to hit the follow
button to stay updated on this case and others like it.
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(06:15):
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Speaker 2 (06:17):
And TikTok for more true crime updates.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
And if you enjoyed this episode, leave us a five
star rating.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Thank you so much for joining us on another.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Episode until next time. Hunting for Answers is a production
of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from
the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app. Apple podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.