Evelyn Marion Lane was 94 years old when she died on Saturday, April 21, 2018, in Santa Monica. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, she died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 2250 29th St. Her death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Santa Monica Police Department case.
The coroner's records describe her as a white woman.
Beyond her name, her age and the place where she died, almost nothing about Evelyn Marion Lane has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no news outlet appears to have reported on the death. She surely had family, friends or neighbors who remember who she was, but none of that has entered the public record. Evelyn Lane is a common name for women of her generation, and searches turn up obituaries for many other women named Evelyn Lane in other states, none of whom is her.
Because so little has been released, even the basic circumstances remain unknown to the public. The record does not say whether she was beaten in a fight, attacked by a stranger, assaulted indoors or on the street, or struck by a vehicle, all of which can lead to a finding of blunt force trauma. It does not say what time of day she was hurt, whether she died at the scene or later at a hospital, whether anyone saw what happened, or whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
For a woman of 94, the possibilities are especially wide. An older person can suffer fatal blunt force injuries from a beating, from a push or a fall during a struggle, or from rough handling by someone who was supposed to be caring for her. A homicide ruling means the medical examiner concluded that another person's actions caused her death, but the public record does not say what those actions were or who was responsible. The address on 29th Street is a street address, which suggests that she may have been hurt in or near a home, but the records do not say whether she lived there.
Santa Monica is a beachside city of about 90,000 people on the western edge of Los Angeles County, bordered on three sides by the city of Los Angeles and on the fourth by the Pacific Ocean. It is known for its pier, its beaches and the Third Street Promenade. Away from the ocean, much of the city is made up of quiet residential streets lined with apartment buildings and single-family homes.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest. A woman of her age is rarely alone for long, and the people who visited her, helped her or lived near her may remember details that never reached the public.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Evelyn Marion Lane could be found in news archives or public records. More than seven years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew her, cared for her, or was near the 2200 block of 29th Street in Santa Monica in April 2018 may hold information that could help. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can contact the Santa Monica Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
