Paul Gentile Smith was indicted by a grand jury last week on suspicion of nearly decapitating his best friend and then setting his body on fire. Smith and Robert Haugen were best friends, but in October of 1988, Smith stabbed Haugen 18 times, killing him and nearly decapitating him. He…
Articles Posted in Murder
Van Nuys Baby Shot by Gang Members
Last week, Marlene Ramirez and Frank Garcia were driving home from a baptism with family members. They stopped to drop off a friend before heading home. While dropping off their friend, two men came up to the family and asked where they were from. One family member (who was a…
Orange County Boxer Gets Life in Prison for Murder & Sexual Assault
James Detory Shipp, Jr. was found guilty of murdering a woman in 1998 who tried to stop him from sexually assaulting one of her co-workers. Shipp was a former football player and aspiring Boxer who claims that he had neurological problems and faced domestic violence while growing up that changed…
Irvine Graduate Student Shoots Ex-Wife on Campus
On Thursday of last week, an Orange County judge ordered Brian Benedict to pay more in child support for his son. He was very angered by the $500 increase in child support he had to pay. On Sunday, Rebecca Benedict, Brian’s ex-wife, went to go pick up her 4-year-old son…
Los Angeles Man Arrested for Killing Prostitute in Orange County
Cesar Gomez is charged with murder with special circumstances for the alleged killing of Ashley Lilly, a prostitute. Lilly had posted on Myspace that she would be at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Anaheim and would offer her services to people that contacted her. Around August 20, 2009, Gomez went…
Fullerton Man Accused of Drowning His 4-Year-Old Son
In 2006, Gideon Walter Omondi walked into a Fullerton police station and told officers that he drowned his son in a bath tub. Officers rushed to Omondi’s house and found the 4-year-old’s body lying on his father’s bed. He was in the middle of a bitter custody battle with his…
Disgruntled Santa Ana Worker Convicted of Execution-Style Murder
Manuel Gonzalez Melgoza was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the execution-style murder of Israel Quiros. Melgoza worked at a landscaping company in 2006. He then got demoted and ultimately fired. Quiros was hired to replace Melgoza and he was so upset that he shot Quiros in…
Orange County Model Murdered Allegedly by Husband
Last week in Buena Park, the body of a missing woman was found stuffed in a suitcase in a trash bin. The body was later identified as that of a swimsuit model named Jasmine Fiore. The woman’s neck was strangled and she was missing teeth and fingers. A suspect from…
Gang Member Sentenced to Death for Killing of 13-Year-Old
After 13-year-old Minh Cong Tran and his family finished eating at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Ana in 2003, they drove away. Jason A. Aguirre, 33, and fellow Dragon Family Junior gang members chased the family into a neighborhood and shot into the car as the family tried to hide.…
Tustin California Man Murders Wife over Easter Egg Hunt
Terry Snyder pleaded guilty to murdering his estranged wife on Easter of 2007 because she had planned an Easter egg hunt for their children. Terry Snyder and Yolanda Snyder were living separately and were switching off having the kids. Terry was upset that Yolanda had the kids over Easter because…