Alan Frederick Goodman was 80 years old when he died on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at his home in Woodland Hills, in the west San Fernando Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after being stabbed, and the address recorded for his death was 20950 Oxnard St. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department Topanga Division case.
At first, his death was not treated as a killing at all. According to the Los Angeles Times and other outlets, his wife reported finding him dead at the couple's home and told police she believed he had suffered a heart attack and fallen down the stairs. Police were called to the home on Oxnard Street, and the death was first handled as an accident.
That changed a few days later. CBS Los Angeles reported that "a coroner's investigator sent to sign Goodman's death certificate at Heritage Crematory on April 20 noted multiple cuts on his head and ears." Los Angeles police Lt.
David Storaker later told the Times that it "was a suspicious death from the onset," and that the head injuries seemed more consistent with an attack. The coroner's office ruled the death a homicide on Aug. 2, according to Reuters. "It was a homicide. He had multiple sharp-force injuries," said Ed Winter, assistant chief of investigations for the coroner. A neighbor described him to the Times as a "nice little man" who suffered from diabetes, and said the couple were often seen together at the swimming pool of their complex.
In August 2012, his wife was arrested in New York and charged with murder. Prosecutors alleged that the attack involved a coffee mug, and CBS Los Angeles reported their claim that he was struck with the mug and stabbed with its broken handle. Her lawyers said they would argue the death was an accident, as investigators had first believed. In late 2012, before any trial, the District Attorney's office asked the court to dismiss the case after tests failed to find her DNA on the alleged weapon. "Based upon this information, we announced we are unable to proceed with the case at this time," a spokeswoman said. CBS Los Angeles reported that the dismissal was without prejudice, which means charges could be filed again in the future. No later charge has been reported.
Woodland Hills is a largely residential community at the western end of the San Fernando Valley, within the city of Los Angeles. Oxnard Street runs east to west across the Valley, and the area around it includes condominium complexes, apartment buildings and quiet residential streets.
Homicides in Los Angeles fell steeply in the late 2000s and early 2010s, yet many killings from those years were never solved.
No conviction connected to the death of Alan Frederick Goodman could be found in news archives or public records, and the only criminal case filed was dismissed. More than 13 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who visited or spoke with the couple in the weeks before April 17, 2012, or who saw or heard anything at the Oxnard Street complex that day, 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 call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
