Peter Matthew Weckwerth was 26 years old when he died on Tuesday, December 11, 2001, in Hollywood. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 1612 N. Vine St. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Division case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report recorded his death in a single sentence drawn from coroner's records. It described him as "a 26-year-old white male" who "died Tuesday, Dec. 11, after being stabbed in Hollywood."
The Los Angeles Police Department said more in a news release headlined "Bar Fight Ends in Stabbing Outside Local Club." According to the release, "Witnesses indicated that the victim had been involved in a minor altercation with another man inside a local nightclub. The altercation was taken outside the club where sometime during the fight, the victim sustained several stab wounds."
Los Angeles City Fire Department personnel took him to Cedars-Sinai, where, in the words of the release, he "failed to respond to emergency treatment and succumbed to his wounds." Police described the man he fought with as "a male Caucasian, between 6'0" and 6'01" tall, 180 pounds, with a shaved head and multiple tattoos on both arms," and said he "was seen leaving the area in an unknown make and model white vehicle." The release identified the victim as a resident of Woodland Hills and gave his age as 31, which differs from the coroner's figure.
An online memorial wall for murder victims also lists him, with a birth date of March 8, 1975, which fits the coroner's age of 26. It records the cause as "Stabbed in the heart" and adds a single line: "Suspect has been convicted." The page does not name anyone, and no news report, court record or police statement could be found to confirm that a conviction took place.
The block where he died lies just south of Hollywood Boulevard, a short walk from the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine. In 2001 the area was the center of Hollywood's nightlife, crowded at night with clubs, bars and people who came from all over the region to go out. Woodland Hills, where police said he lived, lies on the far west side of the San Fernando Valley, which suggests he had come into Hollywood for a night out, although the release does not say so.
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 Peter Matthew Weckwerth could be found in news archives or public records, apart from the unconfirmed note on the memorial page. More than 24 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was at a nightclub near Vine Street in Hollywood in December 2001, or who saw the fight outside, 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 (877-LAPD-24-7), or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
