George Martinez was fatally shot on February 22, 1989, at about 10:00 p.m. while working as a doorman at Fort Knots, a topless dance bar in South Gate. The shooting followed an altercation between Martinez and a patron, Abelino Manriquez. Earlier that evening a dancer, Daneen Baker, had accused Manriquez of inappropriate behavior, and Martinez had evicted him. Manriquez allegedly tried to reenter the bar several times before returning with a firearm and shooting Martinez at point-blank range.

Martinez was one of four people killed by Manriquez; the others were Miguel Garcia, Efrem Baldia, and Jose Gutierrez. A jury found Manriquez guilty of Martinez’s murder and determined he personally used a handgun in the killing. The special circumstance of multiple murder was upheld and the jury imposed the death sentence; the judgment was later affirmed on appeal.

If anyone knew Martinez, worked at Fort Knots, or remembers that night in South Gate, can you share what you know?