Joseph Shorty, a 41-year-old American Indian, died Monday, April 20, 2009, after being asphyxiated, either with a T-shirt gag to his mouth or a ligature around his neck, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
The address given by the coroner is the location of the Patio Inn Motel in the 13800 block of South Normandie Avenue in Gardena.
—Megan Garvey