On Feb. 12, 1976, actor Sal Mineo was stabbed to death after rehearsal for the L.A. stage production of “P.S. Your Cat is Dead.” Who did it and why?
Career peaks: “Rebel Without a Cause” with James Dean (1956) and “Exodus” (1960.) Mineo received two Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
1n 1960, he was engaged to his beautiful “Exodus” costar Jill Haworth.
And then roles became scarce. The engagement was called off. After a role in “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965), Mineo starred in “Who Killed Teddy Bear?” (1965), an extremely low-budget sleazoid that has gained cult film status.
In 1969, he co-starred in “Krakatoa, East of Java” and directed the stage play “Fortune and Men’s Eyes”. In the 70’s, Mineo played minor roles in episodic television (“Columbo”, “Harry O”.) In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola was prepared to cast him as Fredo in “The Godfather”, but costar James Caan threatened to quit, if “that fag” was allowed on the set. He was still hoping for that comeback role and may have found it in “P.S. Your Cat is Dead”, which gained favorable notices in San Francisco (1975.)

Sal Mineo dead outside his West Hollywood apartment.
February 12, 1976. Sal Mineo was found dying from one fatal stab would to the heart. Witnesses saw a man running away with long, blond hair. Police searched Mineo’s apartment and found a stash of gay porn. The LAPD wrote it off as a “fag killing” and they were prepared to sweep it under the rug, until…
Lionel Ray Williams, a black man had been disguised in blond dreadlocks. His ex-wife said he had returned home that day, bloody. Williams, stupidly, had bragged to others about how “easy” it was to kill the unsuspecting actor. He was found guilty of murder and spent fourteen years in prison.
Because of the initial reports of a blond man (presumed to be a gay lover), plus Williams denials of guilt, there are some who still think it was a homosexual vendetta. There’s no doubt Williams killed Mineo, but why?
Robbery? Maybe, but why was his wallet left behind?
Revenge? Some say Williams heard Mineo speaking to inmates in prison, encouraging their rehabilitation. Upon hearing this, Williams vowed to get him, calling him “a phony, tough guy.”
Drugs? Did Mineo owe money for an illegal drug deal? Was this payback?
Sal Mineo screamed for help, which means he saw the attack coming. Murder seems more likely than robbery. But, why? The “why” we may never know.
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