Former NFL player’s death could be linked to other homicides, officials say

The stabbing death of former NFL defensive lineman Kevin Johnson could be linked to a series of homicides, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said on Tuesday.

The LASD’s Homicide Bureau is investigating a series of homicide cases that took place between October 2025 and January 2026 around the same area, the 1300 block of East 120th Street. During that timeframe, four homicides occurred in the area, all of which remain under active investigation by the homicide bureau, according to LASD. One of the cases is the stabbing death of Johnson, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders in the 1990s.

Johnson’s body was discovered at a homeless encampment on Jan. 21. His cause of death was listed as blunt head trauma and stab wounds, records showed.

FORMER NFL DEFENSIVE LINEMAN STABBED TO DEATH IN LOS ANGELES, RECORDS SHOW

Defensive lineman Kevin Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles moves down the field during a game against the Washington Redskins at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26, 1995. (Otto Greule Jr./Allsport)

“All four victims were unhoused individuals who were living in encampments in the vicinity of the 1300 block of East 120th Street,” LASD said.

The LASD added that investigators from its Homicide Bureau were working with personnel from the Century Sheriff’s Station and the Operation Safe Streets Bureau in their investigations of the homicides.

A homeless encampment in Willowbrook on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The series of killings in the Compton Creek area started on Oct. 5, 2025, when a woman, identified as 52-year-old Michelle Steele, was shot in the head, according to KABC-TV, which cited sources close to the investigation. She later died in the hospital on Nov. 12, 2025. Then, on Dec. 4, 2025, 52-year-old Octavio Arias was killed in the same area, KABC-TV reported, adding that Arias died of head and neck trauma. Johnson was the third victim.

The LASD said a found the fourth victim was found on Jan. 26. KABC-TV identified that victim as Mauro Alfaro, adding that sources said the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

A memorial for former NFL and Westchester High lineman Kevin Johnson sits near a homeless encampment in Willowbrook on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The investigations into the homicides remain ongoing, and LASD has encouraged anyone with information on the incidents to contact its Homicide Bureau.