Michael Player
Michael Player (September 6, 1960 – October 10, 1986) was an American serial killer who killed ten people in Los Angeles’ Skid Row during September and October 1986. He was nicknamed The Skid Row Slayer and also used the alias Marcus Nisby.
Background: Born in Los Angeles, Player had a long criminal history. He was arrested several times in the 1970s under the name Marcus Nisby, including robberies. He served prison terms for theft in 1983, for illegal possession of weapons in 1984, and received a 60-day parole violation sentence in July 1985. He was paroled in 1985 and soon committed more offenses.
Crimes: The killings began on September 4, 1986, with 54-year-old Rudolfo Roque, who was not homeless. He was shot in the back of the head; the weapon was discarded and he was briefly detained but released for lack of evidence. The next victims were mostly homeless people, shot while sleeping. The ten victims were Rudolfo Roque; Rick Stamps; Rojello Sirven; Joseph Griffin (wounded September 13, died October 5); Marshall Singer; David Towns; Christopher Boyle; Leon Gaines; Chang Kang; Wayne Ellis. On October 9, 1986, Player attempted to kill Terrence Dunn; Dunn survived and provided a description, leading to a facial composite.
On October 10, 1986, Player killed himself in a Los Angeles hotel. Police later found bloodstained shoes and two pistols in his apartment, and ballistics confirmed that all ten victims were killed with weapons owned by Player. Dunn identified him from a photo. In February 1987, LAPD Chief Daryl Gates announced that all ten murders were linked to Player. The motive behind the killings remains unknown.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:52 (CET).