On Sunday, January 6, 2019, forty-six-year-old Corey Michael Winters died in the Westwood neighborhood of West Los Angeles. Authorities responded to an incident along the 10900 block of Ashton Avenue, a predominantly residential corridor characterized by mid-rise apartment buildings, condominium complexes, and landscaped tree-lined sidewalks situated south of Wilshire Boulevard and just west of Westwood Boulevard. Emergency responders arrived at the location, but Winters could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Corey Michael Winters was identified as a 46-year-old White man. Following the discovery, his body was transferred into the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner to undergo an autopsy and forensic examination. In official coroner records, his cause of death was categorized under other trauma or undetermined circumstances, rather than a conventional gunshot or sharp-force injury, leaving significant aspects of how he sustained his fatal injuries undisclosed to the public.
The Los Angeles Police Department's West Los Angeles Community Police Station took charge of the homicide investigation. Detectives examined the scene along Ashton Avenue, seeking potential surveillance video from nearby residential buildings, gathering physical evidence, and attempting to interview residents or witnesses who may have heard a disturbance or seen anything unusual during the morning or evening hours of January 6. Because of the densely populated nature of the neighborhood, investigators worked to establish a definitive timeline leading up to the death.
Westwood is generally considered among the calmer, lower-crime sectors of Los Angeles, making a homicide investigation along its residential blocks relatively uncommon compared to other areas across the county. In 2019, the city of Los Angeles recorded over 250 homicides, but only a very small fraction occurred within the West Los Angeles division. Despite the relative rarity of such violent crime in the immediate area, authorities released minimal details regarding potential suspects, motives, or vehicles tied to the scene.
Years have elapsed since Corey Winters lost his life on Ashton Avenue, and the investigation remains unresolved. No suspects have been publicly identified, no arrests have been made, and prosecutors have not brought any charges in connection with the case. The LAPD West Los Angeles Division continues to handle the open case and encourages anyone who has information regarding Corey Michael Winters or the events of January 6, 2019, to step forward and contact homicide detectives or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
