Michael Player: The Skid Row Slayer
Overview
Michael Player was an American serial killer linked to the shooting deaths of ten men in and around Los Angeles, California, during a concentrated series of attacks in September and October 1986. Most of the victims were homeless men sleeping outdoors in the Skid Row district, although at least two were visitors who did not live on the streets. Player usually approached isolated victims during the early-morning hours and shot them in the head from behind or while they slept.
The murders caused widespread fear among people living in Skid Row. Victims were attacked in places where they ordinarily rested, including sidewalks, doorways and public parks. Because many witnesses were transient and the attacks occurred at night or before sunrise, investigators initially had little evidence identifying the gunman. Player died by suicide before he could be arrested or prosecuted for the murders. Police later connected him to the shootings through firearms evidence, physical evidence and an identification made by a surviving victim.
Early Life and Criminal History
Michael Player was born in Los Angeles on September 6, 1960. Relatively little reliable information is publicly available about his childhood, family or education. As an adult, he repeatedly came into contact with law enforcement and sometimes used the name Marcus Nisby.
Player accumulated a criminal history involving robbery, theft, weapons possession and violations of parole or probation. In October 1983, he was arrested during an attempted theft and later served approximately six months in custody. In 1984, he was convicted of illegally possessing a weapon and received a two-year sentence. After being paroled, he continued committing offenses and was returned to custody for approximately 60 days in July 1985.
By 1986, Player was familiar with the streets of central Los Angeles and the neighborhoods surrounding Skid Row. His victims were generally men who were alone, asleep or otherwise unable to defend themselves. Investigators later concluded that he used more than one firearm during the series.
The Beginning of the Murders
The first known murder occurred on September 4, 1986. The victim, 54-year-old Rudolfo Roque, had recently traveled from San Diego to visit a friend. Roque was walking in Los Angeles when a gunman approached him from behind and shot him in the back of the head.
Police detained Player shortly after Roque was killed. He was questioned because officers considered his behavior suspicious and believed he might have information about the shooting. However, investigators did not have enough evidence to hold him, and he was released. The decision occurred before police knew that Roque's death would become the first recognized killing in a much larger series.
Within days, another man was found fatally shot. The violence then accelerated, with several victims attacked while they were sleeping in the Skid Row area. The repeated use of close-range gunshots and the selection of isolated men led investigators to suspect that the cases were connected.
Attacks on September 13, 1986
On September 13, Player attacked two men in the Skid Row district. Thirty-one-year-old Rojello Sirven was shot in the head and died from his injuries. Joseph Griffin, 47, was also shot but initially survived. Griffin remained alive for several weeks before dying from complications on October 5, 1986.
The attacks demonstrated that the gunman was willing to strike more than once within a brief period. Most of those targeted had few resources and slept in exposed public areas, making them especially vulnerable. The shootings also presented investigators with serious difficulties because crime scenes in crowded urban areas could quickly become disturbed and witnesses were often unable to provide a clear description.
Continuation of the Killing Spree
On September 20, 1986, 66-year-old Marshall Singer was shot in the back of the head. Three days later, 36-year-old David Towns was killed while sleeping. These attacks reinforced the emerging pattern: a solitary man was approached without warning and shot before he could resist or escape.
On September 30, Player killed two men in separate attacks. Christopher Boyle, 25, and Leon Gaines, 56, were both shot in Los Angeles. Although they were not killed at the same location, investigators determined that the shootings shared characteristics with the earlier murders.
The attacks occurred so rapidly that detectives were attempting to compare evidence from new crime scenes while additional victims were still being discovered. News of a possible serial gunman spread through Skid Row, where people feared falling asleep outdoors.
Final Murders and Surviving Witness
On October 7, 1986, Player killed 23-year-old Chang Kang. Kang was a Korean man who lived in Texas and had traveled to Los Angeles to visit relatives. Like Rudolfo Roque, he was not homeless. His murder showed that Player's victim selection was based primarily on opportunity and isolation rather than homelessness alone.
The following day, October 8, Player shot and killed 44-year-old Wayne Ellis while Ellis was sleeping in Athens Park, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County. Ellis became the final known person murdered during Player's six-week shooting spree.
On October 9, Player attempted to kill Terrence Dunn. Dunn survived the shooting and was able to describe his attacker. His account gave investigators one of their strongest leads and allowed police to prepare a composite description of the suspected gunman.
Confirmed Victims
- Rudolfo Roque, 54 — September 4, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Roque was visiting from San Diego when he was approached from behind and shot in the back of the head.
- Rick Stamps, 66 — September 6, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Stamps was fatally shot during the early stage of the killing series. He was reportedly homeless and vulnerable when attacked.
- Rojello Sirven, 31 — September 13, 1986 — Skid Row, Los Angeles, California: Sirven was shot in the head while resting or sleeping in the Skid Row area.
- Joseph Griffin, 47 — October 5, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Griffin was shot during the September 13 attack that killed Rojello Sirven. He initially survived but died from complications of the gunshot wound on October 5.
- Marshall Singer, 66 — September 20, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Singer was shot in the back of the head in an attack matching Player's established method.
- David Towns, 36 — September 23, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Towns was reportedly sleeping when Player approached and fatally shot him.
- Christopher Boyle, 25 — September 30, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Boyle was shot and killed during one of two separate attacks committed on the same date.
- Leon Gaines, 56 — September 30, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Gaines was killed in a separate shooting on the same day as Christopher Boyle.
- Chang Kang, 23 — October 7, 1986 — Los Angeles, California: Kang was a Texas resident visiting relatives in Los Angeles when he was shot and killed.
- Wayne Ellis, 44 — October 8, 1986 — Athens Park, Los Angeles County, California: Ellis was shot while sleeping in the park and became Player's final confirmed murder victim.
Player's Death
On October 10, 1986, Player checked into a hotel on Wilshire Boulevard using the name Marcus Nisby. He paid cash, entered his room and shot himself. His body was discovered afterward, and fingerprint records revealed that the deceased hotel guest was Michael Player.
At the time of his death, police had not publicly identified Player as the Skid Row gunman. Investigators searching his belongings discovered evidence that redirected the investigation toward the recently deceased man. Items recovered included bloodstained footwear and two handguns, reportedly a .22-caliber pistol and a .38-caliber weapon.
Ballistics and Identification
Forensic specialists compared the recovered firearms with bullets and cartridge evidence from the murder scenes. Ballistic testing connected Player's weapons to the series of shootings. Blood and other physical evidence found among his possessions further strengthened the case against him.
Terrence Dunn, the surviving victim, was shown a photograph of Player and identified him as the man who had shot him. The identification was particularly important because Player could no longer be questioned, charged or placed in a lineup.
Investigators also reconsidered Player's earlier detention following the murder of Rudolfo Roque. His presence near the first crime scene, combined with the recovered weapons, ballistic matches and Dunn's identification, convinced police that Player had committed the ten murders.
Official Conclusion
In February 1987, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates announced that investigators had identified Michael Player as the man responsible for the Skid Row killings. Because Player had died before the evidence was fully developed, he was never charged, tried or convicted. The official attribution was based on the combined forensic and circumstantial evidence gathered after his death.
No definitive motive was established. Player did not leave a verified confession explaining the murders, and investigators could not determine why he began shooting strangers in September 1986. The victims did not appear to share a personal connection with him. Most were selected because they were isolated, sleeping or exposed in public places.
Impact of the Case
Player's crimes highlighted the extreme vulnerability of homeless people in Los Angeles. Many of his victims lacked secure shelter and were attacked in places where they had gone to sleep. Their circumstances complicated the investigation and allowed the gunman to continue killing over a period of approximately six weeks.
The case also demonstrated the importance of forensic ballistics in connecting murders committed across different locations. Player escaped prosecution through his suicide, but the examination of his firearms and the testimony of a surviving victim allowed authorities to identify him posthumously.
Michael Player died at the age of 26 on October 10, 1986. His brief but deadly series of attacks left ten men dead and at least one additional man wounded. The murders remain one of the most concentrated episodes of serial violence directed against vulnerable people in the history of Los Angeles' Skid Row district.
