Linda Harris

A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

Faced with the town lawyer, the sheriff, and a rival slaughterhouse owner trying to purchase his land, Lester Bacon decides to take matters into his own hands, ordering his hulking and mentally deranged son to permanently dispose of anyone who conspires against them.

Los Angeles' Skid Row is home to one of the largest homeless populations in the United States. And we found, inside that community, the remarkable and enormously moving stories of Olympic athletes, Harvard attorneys, accomplished musicians, scholars. We found poverty, drugs and mental illness, of course - but more importantly we found life, hope and incredibly powerful human journeys.

December 31st 1999. The most anticipated day in history. Four stories. 24 hours. End of the world? Or just another day in paradise?