Lloyd Avery II was a promising actor who appeared in John Singleton’s Oscar-nominated film Boyz n the Hood (1991) as one of the Bloods who murdered high school football star Ricky Baker (played by Morris Chestnut) and was later killed by Doughboy (played by Ice Cube) in retaliation. However, his life took a tragic turn when he got involved in gang-related activities and ended up killing two people in 1999. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he was murdered by his cellmate in 2005. What led to his downfall and how did he die? This article explores the tragic life and death of Lloyd Avery II.
Early Life and Career
Lloyd Fernandez Avery II was born on June 21, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, to Lloyd Avery Sr. and Linda Avery. He grew up in View Park, where he attended Beverly Hills High School. He excelled in water polo and baseball and was described as the class clown who cracked funny jokes during lectures. He also had a mischievous streak and a knack for getting into trouble. According to his friend Brent Rollins, he had an inherent behavior of “probing insecurities, sarcasm, pushing buttons, and incessant needling to provoke a reaction.”
Lloyd wanted to pursue a career in music, despite his father’s forbiddings. He got arrested in June 1990 for stealing studio equipment from a Guitar Center. He also got arrested in 1988 for carrying a fake ID and getting into a fight with a group of frat brothers at a UCLA party. He reportedly told his friend Keith Davis that he liked jail and found it funny
Lloyd got his first big break with his friend John Singleton directing the latter’s first feature film, Boyz n the Hood, which was a huge commercial success and got multiple nominations at the 64th Academy Awards. Though he had a minute role in the film, Lloyd starred in one of the most iconic moments in the history of cinema. He also appeared in Singleton’s next film, Poetic Justice (1993), and had minor roles in other films and TV shows, such as Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), The Breaks (1999), Lockdown (2000), and Shot (2001)
Double Homicide and Conviction
In 2001, soon after wrapping Shot, Lloyd was arrested and charged with a double homicide for shooting two random people, for which he was sentenced to life in prison. According to the police, Lloyd was driving around with his friend in Los Angeles on July 1, 1999, when he spotted a man and a woman walking on the sidewalk. He stopped the car, got out, and shot them both multiple times. The victims were identified as Miguel Sanchez, 25, and Terri Mendoza, 21. They had no connection to Lloyd or any gang affiliation. The motive for the killings was unclear, but some speculated that it could have been a gang initiation or a thrill killing
Lloyd was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder (for shooting at a witness who escaped) in 2005. He was also found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and using a firearm to commit a crime. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus 32 years. He was incarcerated at the Pelican Bay State Prison, a supermax facility that houses some of the most dangerous and notorious inmates in the country
Murder in Prison
Lloyd Avery II died on September 4, 2005, while serving his life sentence in prison. He was found unresponsive in his cell and was pronounced dead a short time later. The cause of death was determined to be blood aspiration, with physical force trauma as a contributing factor. His cellmate, Kevin Roby, a convicted murderer and white supremacist, had brutally beaten and strangled Lloyd as part of a Satanic ritual “intended as a warning to God”. Roby had carved a pentagram and the words “Helter Skelter” on Lloyd’s chest and had written “666” on the cell wall with his blood. Roby was charged with Lloyd’s murder and pleaded guilty by reason of insanity. He was sentenced to death in 2007
Lloyd Avery II’s life and death were a tragic example of how a talented actor who had a bright future in Hollywood became a murderer and a victim of a senseless and brutal crime. His story was featured in the documentary Death by Fame: Life Imitates Art, which aired on Investigation Discovery in 2023. The documentary interviewed various co-stars and friends of Lloyd, who shared their memories and insights about him. They described him as a sweet, funny, and charismatic person who had a dark side and a troubled soul. They also expressed their shock and sadness over his fate and wondered what could have been if he had chosen a different path
