CA- Catholic Bishop. 69. found shot to death in his home in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles, Feb. 18, 2023

[Cryptic]

Yes, of course I read that. Gangs/disturbed individuals could both use a wife to gain access to the home, depending on how long they planned ahead...

Evidently, the shooter clearly falls into the disturbed individual category. Neighbors have reported a history of erratic behavior and strange claims of "this and that". Erratic behavior has included strange night time diggings around his home.

Likewise, I doubt it was planned in advance. Rather, my guess is that the Bishop was not particularly security minded and the perpetrator or wife had keys or a door code. The perpetrator then made an impulsive decision to violently pursue a fixation / fantasy.

As a side note, I made a quick mental list of people who clearly or might still know our door code: relatives, school friends of kids, adult friends, contractors, kid's former romantic interests, and two mild at risk youth types that we opened our home to.

I stopped counting at 10- it then climbed to 12. Might be time to change the code.

 

[steeltowngirl]

The suspect’s wife was the bishop’s dog walker, according to Medina, who said the alleged killer also occasionally walked the cleric’s dog.

Los Angeles Bishop David O’Connell’s suspected killer walked his dog

Neighbor Francisco Medina said dozens of squad cars rushed his usually quiet block in Torrance, Calif. around 4:15 a.m. this morning.

nypost.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

Luna said Medina had previously done work at the bishop’s home. “The suspect had been at the bishop’s house before doing work,” the sheriff said. There was some kind of a “working relationship,” said the sheriff.

Journalist Harter tweeted, “Here’s a look inside the suspect’s yard, cluttered with an assortment of items and junk, including pipes, bikes, buckets, tools, bikes and potted plants.”

She quoted his neighbor Marty Hernandez as saying, “He always seemed like an odd person. Always on the go, in a rush, and digging stuff.”

Carlos Medina, Bishop David O'Connell Murder Suspect Identified

Carlos Medina was the suspect accused in the murder of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell.

heavy.com

 

[PriorTheCreator]

How old was he? Could the Bishop have known him as a child?

If I am wrong then disregard

Thinking outloud as what might have been motive <modsnip>

 

[BeckyF]

How old was he? Could the Bishop have known him as a child?

If I am wrong then disregard

Thinking outloud as what might have been motive <modsnip>

The post above yours has a link to an article with details about the suspect.

 

[Cryptic]

How old was he? Could the Bishop have known him as a child?

If I am wrong then disregard

Thinking outloud as what might have been motive <modsnip>

He was 69 and the perpertrator was 65.

So.... I guess, yes, they could have known each other as children. Plot thickens.

 

[Baba O'Riley]

He was 69 and the perpertrator was 65.

So.... I guess, yes, they could have known each other as children. Plot thickens.

The bishop grew up in Ireland and attended school there all through seminary. So I don't think they knew each other.

 

[Cryptic]

The bishop grew up in Ireland and attended school there all through seminary. So I don't think they knew each other.

Then factor in that they are only five years apart and thus unlikely to of had a priest / alter server type relationship.

Then add that the Bishop has not been accused before and that neighbors of the perpertrator have reported a pattern of erratic behavior that is consistent with mental health issues.

 

[PriorTheCreator]

He was 69 and the perpertrator was 65.

So.... I guess, yes, they could have known each other as children. Plot thickens.

Ok, then this seems like truly a unique situation.

I was just asking. thanks

 

[PriorTheCreator]

Yes, of course I read that. Gangs/disturbed individuals could both use a wife to gain access to the home, depending on how long they planned ahead...

I doubt it was gang related. IMO

 

[its.evey]

In my opinion the killing was either mental health related or do to an episode on drugs or needing money to purchase drugs. Local news has stated that the suspect had been arrested in the past for drug charges.

 

[RickshawFan]

Now that we know that this man's wife was the Bishop's housekeeper for the last decade, and that this man also did some work around the Bishop's house, the initial thought this might be a robbery doesn't sound like the motive anymore.

He seemingly had a beef with the Bishop, regarding his owing him money....whether true or not.
It was also stated this guy was acting "irrational" lately, so it makes me wonder whether his mind was completely sound.

I can think of many reasons why a person would complain that another person owed them money, including: blackmail, doing something nefarious on their behalf, procuring anthing, person, or service, refusal to share an outlay like lottery winnings when promises had been made. And then there are many innocent reasons, like payment for fixing the bathroom sink.

Who was it who said the suspect was acting “irrational”?

 

[RickshawFan]

Luna said Medina had previously done work at the bishop’s home. “The suspect had been at the bishop’s house before doing work,” the sheriff said. There was some kind of a “working relationship,” said the sheriff.

Journalist Harter tweeted, “Here’s a look inside the suspect’s yard, cluttered with an assortment of items and junk, including pipes, bikes, buckets, tools, bikes and potted plants.”

She quoted his neighbor Marty Hernandez as saying, “He always seemed like an odd person. Always on the go, in a rush, and digging stuff.”

Carlos Medina, Bishop David O'Connell Murder Suspect Identified

Carlos Medina was the suspect accused in the murder of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell.

heavy.com

I’m not finding much redeeming in this article. It's like junk journalism. It seems to be relaying rumors, speculation, etc. I mean, if having junk in one's yard yells “irrational” or “odd”, or “murderous”, I could end up with a first degree charge and life in prison. Bikes? Tick. Trash can. Yep. Tools? It's a yard, duh. “Potted plants”? Like, a yard isn’t supposed to have plants in pots? Must be a murderer with all that stuff.

 

[steeltowngirl]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1628581882698022912

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

Medina has a lengthy history of personal drug use arrests and convictions from 2005 to 2017, and detectives are investigating whether he had been using narcotics at the time of the killing, according to law enforcement sources.

Medina has narcotics arrests in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2017, according to law enforcement officials not authorized to discuss his criminal history. At least two of the convictions were for drug possession, but the handyman did not have a history of violent arrests.

---

In the unincorporated Torrance neighborhood where Medina and his wife rented a two-bedroom yellow stucco home, neighbors said the couple led quiet, ordinary lives and were friendly with their neighbors.

“He never said anything offensive,” said Francisco Medina Lopez, 74, a neighbor who said he was friendly with Medina. “It’s so strange.”

Medina, who walked with a limp, was often seen tinkering on his cars or working on his yard, neighbors said. His wife was a fixture in the neighborhood who was frequently observed walking a large white dog that residents said belonged to the bishop.

The two neighbors would occasionally drink beers or share meals together, making small talk while listening to ranchera music.
But Medina Lopez said he always thought well of his neighbor, who would sometimes give him a ride to the swap meet or nearby stores.

“He was your average older man, always talkative and in a good mood,” said Luis Lopez, who lived in a home behind the Medinas’ home. “He was a regular common man.”

Handyman confesses to killing L.A. Bishop David G. O'Connell, district attorney says

Carlos Medina, the man accused of killing L.A. Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell, has confessed to the fatal shooting, authorities say.

www.latimes.com

 

[Cryptic]

Who was it who said the suspect was acting “irrational”?

One of the neighbors mentioned strange diggings in his backyard and accusative conversations that seemed off or perhaps disjointed. Yet, other neighbors seem to report that he is well balanced.

It might just depend on which side you see.

I once had a neighbor whose behavior could range from responsible "salt of the earth" type dad to "tore down 'n doped" depending on when you interacted with him.

I only saw the "salt of the earth side" until my teenager mentioned he had foggy but harmless conversations with him at night and that his car smelled like a "burning weed farm".

Another neighbor was surprised that I did not know about his tore down 'n doped side. But, I had never seen that side as I had only spoken to him on weekend mornings when he worked in his yard.

 

[steeltowngirl]

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR BISHOP DAVID G. O'CONNELL ARE ANNOUNCED​

Public Viewing & Vigil Mass - Thursday, March 2nd
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

• Public Viewing from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Vigil Mass at 7:00 PM. (available via livestream)
• Parking: Click for details.

Funeral Mass - Friday, March 3rd
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

• Mass at 11:00 AM (available via livestream)
• Parking advisory: Due to space lmitations, parking will not be available at the Cathedral. (click for details)

https://olacathedral.org/news/funeral-services-for-bishop-david-g-oconnell

Pope mourns and prays for late LA Bishop David O'Connell - Vatican News

Pope Francis sends condolences for the death of Late Bishop David O'Connell of Los Angeles, sending prayers and praising his witness as a priest close ...

www.vaticannews.va

 

[Cedars]

He seemingly had a beef with the Bishop, regarding his owing him money....whether true or not.
It was also stated this guy was acting "irrational" lately, so it makes me wonder whether his mind was completely sound.

Just checking in whether my standards of behaviour are completely extinct: is there any circumstance - outside following a gang boss's orders - where it's rational to break into someone's home and shoot them dead in their bed? Like, because they owe you money, you can see how a rational person would do that. Or maybe because the victim messed with them when they were a kid, of course, in that case, it's a perfectly normal and rational response?

 

[Puzzleworth]

Just checking in whether my standards of behaviour are completely extinct: is there any circumstance - outside following a gang boss's orders - where it's rational to break into someone's home and shoot them dead in their bed? Like, because they owe you money, you can see how a rational person would do that. Or maybe because the victim messed with them when they were a kid, of course, in that case, it's a perfectly normal and rational response?

The money is an explanation, not an excuse. No rational person would break into their debtor's house to kill them. However, when we know there was a perceived slight, it makes more sense why someone a little less than rational (or a lot less than rational, as it seems here) might lose control of their emotions and commit violence.

 

[Cedars]

The money is an explanation, not an excuse. No rational person would break into their debtor's house to kill them. However, when we know there was a perceived slight, it makes more sense why someone a little less than rational (or a lot less than rational, as it seems here) might lose control of their emotions and commit violence.

Thanks for your comment.

I think in such cases the explanation/excuse is helpful to the perpetrator, who actually uses it, before and after, to justify their extremely violent, destructive impulses.

I think he just wanted to kill someone and get away with it. IMO, the more important the person, the more important it made him feel, in his own mind.

JMO