Past case: Hawthorne man sentenced in slaying of son-in-law

A 49-year-old man was sentenced April 29, 2005, to state prison for a 2003 killing in Hawthorne, according the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Calvin Keith Whetstone pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison for the shooting death of Jermaine Knox, his son-in-law.

Knox, 23, was shot and killed Dec. 25, 2003 in the 14000 block of Kornblum Avenue in Hawthorne, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

On the morning of the shooting, Knox’s wife took their son to Whetstone’s Hawthorne apartment after she and the victim had argued, according to Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office.

When Knox arrived at Whetstone's apartment he demanded to be let in to talk with his wife. He punched in the living room window and as he tried to enter the apartment he was shot and killed, Santiago said.

Knox was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:20 a.m.

Whetstone was arrested that day by Hawthorne police.

-- Maloy Moore

This is an update to an older Homicide Report entry. The Times is committed to reporting and updating past filings.