Alexander Dylan Wharton was 47 years old when he died on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, in Malibu. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 24250 Pacific Coast Highway. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau case.
Very little about his death was ever reported in detail. The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report gave only his age, the date and the address. An online discussion forum devoted to crime cases, Websleuths, followed the case in a thread titled "Malibu Bluffs Park, Jan 2018," which ties the address to that city park. The thread was later marked "Identified!", which suggests that he was not identified right away. According to the forum, "Sheriff's officials described Wharton as a 47-year-old white man," and "Earlier reports indicated he was homeless at the time of his murder."
If he was living outdoors in Malibu, he would have been among the many unhoused people who spend time in parks, canyons and beach areas along the coast. People without homes are often more exposed to attack, especially at night, and their deaths can be hard to investigate because their movements and acquaintances are not always known to family. Beyond those few lines, nothing about his life, his family or how he came to be in Malibu has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for him. Searches for his name return obituaries for other men named Alexander Wharton in Santa Cruz, New York, Virginia and Florida, none of whom is the man who died in Malibu.
The public record does not say how he was hurt, whether he was found in the park itself or nearby, what time of day the attack happened, whether he died at the scene, or whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
Malibu stretches for miles along the Pacific Coast Highway at the western edge of Los Angeles County, and it is known for its beaches, canyons and expensive homes. Malibu Bluffs Park is a city park on the bluffs above the highway, with open lawns and walking paths that look out over the ocean. Malibu has no police department of its own and contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Alexander Dylan Wharton 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 him, who saw him in Malibu, or who was near Malibu Bluffs Park and Pacific Coast Highway in late January 2018 may hold information that could help detectives. 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 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
