On December 8, 1974, Moses Yakanac, a 47-year-old Native Alaskan man, was found brutally murdered in a Skid Row alley in downtown Los Angeles. Yakanac, who was reportedly homeless and likely struggling with alcoholism, became an easy target for a killer who preyed upon society's most vulnerable. His death was part of a chilling pattern that would soon be attributed to a serial killer later dubbed the “Skid Row Slasher.”
Yakanac's murder was the second in a renewed series of killings that began earlier that month. Just a week prior, on December 1, 1974, 46-year-old Charles Jackson, an alcoholic drifter, was murdered in the same area. The killer's method was disturbingly consistent: victims were typically found with their throats slashed, often accompanied by ritualistic elements such as salt sprinkled around the bodies and cups of blood left nearby. These macabre details suggested a possible connection to occult practices, though this was later disputed by experts.
The investigation into these murders was initially hampered by inaccurate suspect profiling. Authorities believed the perpetrator to be a white male in his late twenties or early thirties, approximately six feet tall, with shoulder-length blond hair. This misdirection delayed the identification and apprehension of the actual killer. The case took a significant turn on February 2, 1975, when a man broke into the Hollywood home of William Graham and attacked him with a hatchet. Graham's houseguest, Kenneth Richer, intervened, and during the struggle, the assailant fled, inadvertently leaving behind a letter addressed to himself—Vaughn Orrin Greenwood.
Greenwood, a 31-year-old African American man, was soon arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder. His criminal history included a prior conviction for attempted murder in Chicago in 1966, for which he served over five years in prison. In 1976, Greenwood was convicted on nine counts of first-degree murder, including the killing of Moses Yakanac, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He remained incarcerated until his death on December 18, 2020, at the age of 76.
The tragic death of Moses Yakanac highlights the dangers faced by marginalized individuals and the challenges law enforcement can encounter when initial investigations are guided by flawed assumptions. His murder, along with those of other victims, serves as a somber reminder of the importance of accurate profiling and the need for vigilance in protecting vulnerable populations.
