Man sentenced to 170 years to life for killing friend and shooting at relatives

A 51-year-old South Los Angeles man was sentenced to 170 years to life in prison for killing a friend and for shooting two relatives in an attack days earlier, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

A jury on April 17 convicted Floyd Odell of murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, prosecutors said. Odell also was convicted of two counts of assault with a gun.

On May 18, 2015, Charles Wilson was playing dominoes inside his Vermont Knolls home with several others about 3 a.m. when he heard a knock at the door, according to a probation officer’s report. 

Wilson, 54, answered the door and went outside to the driveway, where Odell shot him, according to the report. The father of five who also had grandchildren and great-grandchildren collapsed in his driveway and later died.

The week before Wilson’s death, on May 12, 2015, Odell shot his nephew and his nephew’s wife in the 6900 block of Menlo Avenue while the two were walking to their parked car.

The nephew was shot in the pelvic area, and the woman was shot in the left hand. Both were hospitalized but survived.  

Odell has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for assault with a gun, burglary and grand theft auto, according to the a probation officer’s report.

Before the attack against Wilson, Odell, a documented gang member, had spent most of his life in prison, according to the report.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @nicolesantacruz and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.