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US Marine Beaten to Death Outside LA Bar
10 May
Summary
- Two men sentenced for fatal beating of U.S. Marine Peter Chounthala.
- The Marine was attacked outside a Bellflower bar in May 2024.
- Suspects pleaded no contest and received 11-year prison sentences.

Two men, Damari Kensey, 22, and Jaymel Williams, 29, were sentenced to 11 years each in state prison for the murder of U.S. Marine Peter Chounthala. The incident occurred on May 28, 2024, around 2 a.m. in Bellflower, California.
Chounthala, a 42-year-old husband and father of three, had left a bar when he was assaulted by the two men. He was found lying in the middle of Artesia Boulevard and was subsequently struck by a vehicle.
Investigators determined Chounthala died from blunt traumatic injuries. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office stated that this "brutal and senseless act" took the life of a dedicated Marine.
Authorities are still searching for the driver of a dark-colored, four-door sedan, possibly a Kia K5, that struck Chounthala. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had offered a reward for information leading to arrests.