Emily Emma Grossley was 41 years old when she died on Tuesday, September 5, 2000, in downtown Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, she died after sustaining blunt force trauma at Palmetto and Coylton streets. Her death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Division.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report recorded her death in a single sentence drawn from coroner's records. It described her as "a 41-year-old black female" who "died Tuesday, Sept. 5, after sustaining blunt force trauma in Downtown." The location was given only as an intersection, which suggests she may have been hurt outdoors, on or near the street, but the record does not say so. It did not describe what happened or whether detectives had identified anyone responsible. No follow-up news story appears to have been published.
One small trace of her life survives online. A genealogy listing on the AncientFaces website says that an "Emily Grossley was born on July 27, 1959," and that she "died at age 41 years old on September 5, 2000." Those dates match the age and the day of death in the coroner's record, so the listing very likely refers to her. The listing gives no other details about her family, her work or where she lived. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found, and no news outlet appears to have reported on her death. Her surname is uncommon, and searches found no other public trace of 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.
The intersection of Palmetto and Coylton streets lies on the eastern edge of downtown Los Angeles, in the area between the downtown towers and the Los Angeles River that is now widely known as the Arts District. For most of the twentieth century the area was an industrial zone of warehouses, rail yards, produce businesses and small factories. By 2000 some of its old buildings had been turned into artists' lofts and studios, but many blocks were still quiet and lightly populated, especially at night. In 2000 the area was patrolled by the LAPD's Central Division.
Homicides in Los Angeles rose sharply in the early 2000s, climbing past 600 in 2002, and detectives carried heavy caseloads. Many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Emily Emma Grossley could be found in news archives or public records. More than 25 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived, worked or spent time near Palmetto and Coylton streets on the east side of downtown in September 2000, or who knew a 41-year-old woman named Emily Grossley, 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 call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
