Homicide in Lake Osborne neighborhood near the County’s John Prince Park. Case remains unsolved.

Do you have a tip that can help solve this crime
in the City of Lake Worth?

More details are below about the murder of 24-year-old William Perez and please continue reading to learn more about Crime Stoppers here in Palm Beach County: Stay anonymous and collect a reward. Your one small tip could solve this crime.

And also below is the latest news from Post crime reporter Olivia Hitchcock about this murder.

Before we move forward, let’s take a look back.

There were three (3) homicides within the municipal limits of the City of Lake Worth in 2018. First came the horrific scene last February on S. Dixie Hwy. when Nicole Novak was murdered by Hugo Selva. A terrible crime spree that ended at Lantana Rd. and I-95. In June Warren Hallback was murdered and that crime was solved shortly afterward. The murder of William Perez last September remains unsolved.

You can find this information and more by using The Palm Beach Post’s homicide tracker database.

Some find it questionable whether databases like the Post’s homicide tracker provide all that much information to the public. For example, all the people who were victims of firearms but survived. For most, their lives will never be the same. Fortunately, trauma care is now regularly saving lives that would have been lost 5–10 years ago.

The Town of Jupiter had five homicides in 2017. The City of Delray Beach had seven murders last year. But that in no way demonstrates a trend in either municipality. Since 2009, for example, Jupiter has had sixteen homicides. None in 2012, 2013, 2016 or 2018.

And another benefit of the Post homicide database is solving cold cases and more recent unsolved homicides. There are now thirty-nine municipalities in Palm Beach County; but since 2009 only twenty-four have reported a murder. Using the database it’s possible to go back and find the unsolved cases in a city, town or village and maybe find people who are willing to talk or provide information to Crime Stoppers (see contact information below).

And it is worth noting the high number of murders in West Palm Beach in 2017–2018 did bring about the push for ShotSpotter technology and possibly it was the Post database that got the public involved.

The Post homicide database began in 2015 and collects data going back to 2009. The database was part of the series called, “LINE OF FIRE: Bullets and Badges and Death on the Streets” and just happened to coincide with PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw seeking re-election. The series in the Post focused on shootings by law enforcement, mostly focusing on PBSO.

How much the ‘LINE OF FIRE’ contributed to public safety and trust in law enforcement was a big topic of debate back in 2015–2016 but ultimately the answer may have come at the voting booth.

Back in the August 2016 Primary election Bradshaw, in a four-man race, won re-election by nearly 66% of the vote. And back in 2012 Bradshaw won by nearly 80% in a three-man race. He is seeking re-election once again in 2020. And if the trend continues and Bradshaw finds himself in a two-man race he should win somewhere in the range of 90–100%. In a five-person race next year? Probably closer to 60%.

But besides the politics. . .

What is most troubling about the “LINE OF FIRE” series in the Post back in 2015–2016 is this: at the very same time the sober home crisis was really hammering municipalities like the cities of Lake Worth, Lantana, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. Not until mid-2016 did the sober home crisis become a top priority to the editor(s) at the Post. And by then it was too late. One can only surmise, but what if the sober home epidemic was priority #1 a year earlier in the Post?

But what happened on September 26th, 2016 in this City of Lake Worth woke a lot of people up, including the press and news media.


Moving on. . . 

Unsolved homicide in the City’s Lake Osborne neighborhood (west of I-95).

This homicide occurred in the City on September 18th. The location is 6th Ave. South near John Prince Park. The victim’s name is William Perez, age 24. This news was first reported in The Palm Beach Post by reporter Jorge Milian.

Then on November 20th reporter Olivia Hitchcock filed this very in-depth update on this unsolved homicide; here are two excerpts:


LAKE WORTH — Though no one has been arrested for killing William Perez nearly two months ago, investigators have confiscated the gun that likely was used to fire the bullet that killed him, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office records show.

and. . .

Sheriff’s records do not indicate who detectives believe fatally shot Perez the afternoon of Sept. 18. However, those records outline a web of individuals tied to drugs, violence and a white Ford Mustang in Lake Worth. That 2005 Mustang in particular appears to be a critical aspect of the sheriff’s investigation into Perez’s death.


If you live west of I-95 in the City of Lake Worth near the County’s John Prince Park and crime is a major issue for you then contact your local chapter of the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC). That information is below. To contact the City of Lake Worth’s PBSO District 14 use this link and there are several ways to contact Crime Stoppers in Palm Beach County:

Do you have any information about this homicide
in the Lake Osborne neighborhood? Then
contact Crime Stoppers ASAP:

Also nearby is another unsolved homicide from November last year. The body of Jessica Medina was discovered in a canal between John Prince Park and Palm Beach State College. If you have any information please contact Crime Stoppers immediately. And stay anonymous.

About your local NAPC neighborhood organization in the Lake Osborne neighborhood:

“[M]ission is to maintain and improve the quality of life in this neighborhood through the dissemination of information, by providing meetings as forums for discussion and representing the members’ viewpoints to officials at the City of Lake Worth, Palm Beach County and the State of Florida. We work closely with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of our residents and to maintain low crime statistics.”