Alexander Gregory George was 55 years old when he died on Saturday, July 23, 2005, in Adams-Normandie, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles near the University of Southern California. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds just north of 1435 W. 27th St. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department case handled by the Southwest Division.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report described him as "a 55-year-old black male" who "died Saturday, July 23, after being stabbed in Adams-Normandie." The location is given as north of an address rather than at it, which suggests he may have been found outdoors, on a sidewalk, in an alley or in a yard, though the record does not say so.
Beyond his name, his age and the place where he died, almost nothing about Alexander Gregory George 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. He surely had family, friends or neighbors who remember who he was, but none of that has entered the public record.
Because so little has been released, even the basic circumstances remain unknown to the public. The record does not say whether he was stabbed during a fight or a robbery, attacked by a stranger or by someone he knew, or hurt indoors or on the street. It does not say what time of day he was hurt, whether he died at the scene or later at a hospital, whether anyone saw what happened, or whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
Alexander George is a fairly common name, and searches turned up several others who share it, among them a Catholic priest in Iowa and men whose obituaries appeared in Ohio, South Carolina and other states. None of them can be connected to the man who died in South Los Angeles. At 55, he had lived more than half a century, and he very likely left behind relatives, friends and neighbors who knew him well.
Adams-Normandie takes its name from the intersection of Adams Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. It is one of the older parts of Los Angeles, with blocks of early twentieth century houses, many of them Craftsman bungalows and Victorian-era homes, along with newer apartment buildings. The neighborhood lies a short distance west of the USC campus and Exposition Park, and Adams Boulevard is known for its historic mansions and churches. West 27th Street is a residential street in the neighborhood's grid.
Los Angeles still recorded roughly 480 to 520 homicides a year in the mid-2000s, and many of those killings were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Alexander Gregory George could be found in news archives or public records. More than 20 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew Alexander George, or who was on or near West 27th Street in Adams-Normandie in late July 2005, may hold information that could help investigators. 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 (877-LAPD-24-7), or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
