Angela Angenette McFadyen

Do you know who murdered Angela?
Angela Angenette McFadyen, a 35-year-old Black woman, was trying to find her footing in a life that had presented many challenges. Known to her loved ones, she was more than just a person facing hardship; she was a daughter, a sister, and a friend. At the time of her death, Angela was living at Casa de Franklin, a local facility for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Diego, California. Investigators learned that she may have been involved in prostitution, a dangerous life that put her at great risk. Despite her circumstances, she was a person navigating a difficult world, and her life was cut short with brutal violence, leaving a void for those who knew her and a long-unsolved mystery for the community.

On Wednesday, March 22, 1995, the quiet of a residential street in the Logan Heights neighborhood was broken by a grim discovery. A homeowner living at 2137 Ocean View Boulevard had recently been the victim of a burglary. While inspecting the damage and securing his property, he checked a vacant residence located behind his main house. Inside, on the floor of the bathroom, he found a woman's body and immediately called the police. San Diego Police Department officers responded to the scene and identified the victim as Angela McFadyen. An autopsy later determined that she had been strangled to death, and her case was officially ruled a homicide.

The investigation into Angela's murder uncovered a few perplexing leads, but none that led to a suspect. Detectives learned that a couple of days before her body was found, an unknown transient man had approached the resident of the main house on the property, asking for food. When the homeowner turned him away, the man reportedly became angry and made threats, warning that "something was going to happen to him or his property." This man was never identified, and it remains unknown if he had any connection to the burglary or to Angela's death. The scene itself offered few immediate clues, leaving investigators with the difficult task of piecing together Angela's final hours.

Detectives from the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit took charge of the case, exploring every angle they could. They looked into Angela's life, her associates, and the circumstances that may have led her to the vacant house on Ocean View Boulevard. They considered the possibility that her death was connected to her involvement in sex work, a line of inquiry that often involves transient and high-risk encounters. They also pursued the lead of the threatening transient, but without a name or a clear description, the trail went cold. The burglary at the front house added another layer of complexity: was it a random crime that simply led to the discovery of the body, or was it somehow connected to the person who killed Angela?

Years have turned into decades, and Angela McFadyen's case has grown cold, but it has never been closed. The San Diego Police Department continues to list her murder as unsolved, hoping that new technology or a long-overdue witness statement might finally provide a breakthrough. Investigators believe that someone in the community may hold the key piece of information that could bring justice for Angela and closure to her family. The passage of time can change relationships and allegiances, and police hope that a person who was once afraid to speak may now be willing to come forward.

The memory of Angela Angenette McFadyen is preserved in the files of the cold case unit and in the hearts of those who knew her. Her case is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of those living on the margins of society and the enduring pain of an unsolved homicide. As of today, her killer has never been identified, and no arrests have been made. The San Diego Police Department urges anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293. For those who wish to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A reward may be available for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.