David Augustus Burke (18 May 1952 – 7 December 1987) was born in Croydon, London Borough of Croydon, Greater London, England to Jamaican parents living in the United Kingdom. Burke later emigrated to the United States with his parents. He had previously worked for USAir in Rochester, New York, where he was a suspect in a drug-smuggling ring that was bringing cocaine from Jamaica to Rochester via the airline. Never officially charged, he reportedly relocated to Los Angeles to avoid future suspicions.[7][24] Some former girlfriends, neighbors, and law enforcement officials described him as a violent man before the events of Flight 1771.[25] He had seven children from 4 women,[26] but never married.[7]