Donte Lamont Brown

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (CA)

Missing From:

Compton, California

Summary:

Donte Lamont Brown has been identified as the suspect in the double murder of his estranged girlfriend, 45, and her daughter, 22, in Compton. The shooting occurred on April 1, 2025. As of April 3, LASD stated that they had "exhausted all leads" and described Brown, 41, as armed and dangerous. More than a month after the murders, Brown has yet to be located, and the sheriff's department has announced a $20,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On April 1, 2025, at around 7:05 P.M., La'Von Hall (45) and her daughter Ma'Laysia Martin (22) were fatally shot while driving eastbound on Caldwell Street at Central Avenue in Compton. Brown allegedly drove up alongside their car and shot them according to the sheriff's department. After Hall was shot, she got out of the driver's seat and fell to the ground. Her car kept moving until it struck a pole. Deputies arrived to the scene and found both women suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. They were both declared dead at the scene. Hall was found in the street just west of the intersection, while Martin was found in the front seat of the car, east of the intersection. Hall had previously been in a relationship with Brown and had recently reported being threatened and stalked by him.

Additional Details:

Detectives identified the suspect in the shooting as Hall's "estranged boyfriend" Donte Lamont Brown. Authorities were initially unable to establish a motive, but Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lt. Steven DeJong told KTLA hours after the shooting that the incident was not believed to be gang-related. The sheriff's department has announced a $20,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest and conviction. At a press conference, the victims' loved ones, joined by Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, spoke out and urged those with information to come forward. As of August 2026, the status of the Sheriff Department’s reward cannot be confirmed and they need to validate it. Social media posts from July 2026 confirm that Brown is unfortunately still at large. The source of those posts will not be named here out of respect to privacy. Court records for this case appear to be sealed. Brown is also not in the custody of the Los Angeles County jail according to an inmate search.

Case Last Updated:

Aug 09, 2026