Joshua Ray Williams was an unhoused man who overdosed inside a Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. The episode begins with Ethan's recollection of how he first discovered Joshua's story while researching a February 2021 article about unhoused people who died in L.A., which is how Joshua's family learned about his death. Ethan shares Joshua's last journal entries that offer a glimpse into Joshua's inner thoughts and struggles. He then takes listeners to the Jack in the Box location where Joshua died, recounting details shared by the manager about what she remembered. Ethan also talks with David Mayes, Joshua's former guardian. David discusses Joshua's past, his tendency to disappear for long periods, and efforts made to find Joshua before his death.
Joshua Ray Williams was an unhoused man who overdosed inside a Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. The episode begins with Ethan's recollection of how he first discovered Joshua's story while researching a February 2021 article about unhoused people who died in L.A., which is how Joshua's family learned about his death. Ethan shares Joshua's last journal entries that offer a glimpse into Joshua's inner thoughts and struggles. He then takes listeners to the Jack in the Box location where Joshua died, recounting details shared by the manager about what she remembered.
Ethan also talks with David Mayes, Joshua's former guardian. David discusses Joshua's past, his tendency to disappear for long periods, and efforts made to find Joshua before his death.
Mentioned this episode:
‘They were homeless, now they’re dead.’ Ethan’s award-winning story for Crosstown LA about the number of unhoused people who died in 2020.
May 2023 Report from L.A. County Dept. of Public Health: Mortality Rates and Causes of Death Among People Experiencing Homelessness in L.A. County