Jane Alexander dies - victims' rights advocate

Jane Alexander, a longtime Marin County resident whose murder-solving crusade became the subject of a book, magazine articles and TV shows, has died.

Mrs. Alexander died Dec. 14 of kidney cancer at a convalescent hospital in Greenbrae, friends said. She was 86.

It was not until she turned 60 that she forged the identity for which she is most remembered. As a 1994 co-founder of a nonprofit organization called Citizens Against Homicide, she helped solve crimes, opposed paroling convicted murderers and lobbied police departments to stay on top of stalled murder cases.

Mrs. Alexander was born in San Francisco in 1922. After attending Lone Mountain College in San Francisco, she served in the intelligence branch of the Navy during World War II. She was discharged in 1945 and married Alfred Alexander, a banker whom she met in the Navy, according to James Dalessandro, who wrote her biography, "Citizen Jane."

The couple raised a family in San Anselmo. Following her husband's death in 1977, Mrs. Alexander became involved with an old family friend, Thomas O'Donnell, who moved into her San Anselmo home, Dalessandro said.

That's when her life began to take unexpected turns.

In 1983, Mrs. Alexander's aunt, Gertrude McCabe, was murdered during what investigators believed was a botched burglary. McCabe, who was 88, was bludgeoned, stabbed multiple times and choked with a bicycle chain.

Mrs. Alexander was also the victim of a crime around the same time. O'Donnell coaxed her to take out a $200,000 loan on her home and then stole $10,000 and took off. It turned out that O'Donnell also had badly mismanaged Mrs. Alexander's finances. She nearly had to declare bankruptcy and was forced to sell her home.

Mrs. Alexander helped the police track down O'Donnell, and he was convicted and sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

After years of collecting evidence, Mrs. Alexander and investigators convinced prosecutors that O'Donnell also killed McCabe.

During O'Donnell's trial, prosecutors said he was under financial duress and believed Mrs. Alexander would be the main beneficiary of McCabe's estate.

He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, Dalessandro said.

The murder saga launched Mrs. Alexander's campaign to help the families of victims through murder investigations and court battles and to demand the pursuit of cold cases.

"She was a human dynamo," Dalessandro said. "She had an energy, enthusiasm, obsession and commitment to justice that was extraordinary."

In 2006, Mrs. Alexander received the Minerva Award, created by Maria Shriver to honor women who have achieved extraordinary things. Other recipients include astronaut Sally Ride and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Mrs. Alexander is survived by five children: Jill Farley, Neansai Magee, Kathleen Gunn, William Alexander and Scott Alexander.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Raphael Catholic Church at 1104 Fifth Ave. in San Rafael. Donations may be made to: Citizens Against Homicide, P. O. Box 2115, San Anselmo, CA 94960.