Post by Scumhunter on Nov 7, 2019 10:03:38 GMT -5
(Above: Richard Wall, suspect in three execution-style murders in Nevada and California between 2008-2011. Photo Credit: nydailynews.com via Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office)
(Above: Sketch of person of interest in 2009 murder of Jeffrey Tidus, which Richard Wall is a suspect in. Photo Credit: CBS Los Angeles via Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office)
From the New York Daily News:
Police are hunting for a wealthy California businessman they suspect orchestrated the execution of a prominent local attorney and two others, authorities said.
Richard Wall, who was previously listed as a "person of interest" in the case, was upgraded to a suspect Monday after detectives tied him to the three murders, which occurred between 2008 and 2011, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Detectives declined to detail the evidence they've collected against the 64-year-old Whittier businessman but said all three slayings appear to be professional hits related to business and legal disputes.
Officials do not believe Wall carried out the shootings himself and he has not yet been charged with a crime, according to the newspaper.
"It certainly appears all roads lead back to Richard Wall," Lt. Victor Lewandowski told the Whittier Daily News.
Wall has since fallen off the grid, though authorities believe he is hiding in Montenegro, an Eastern European country that doesn't have an extradition agreement with the United States.
Investigators told the Times they've suspected the group of murders have been linked for a while now, but only recently began looking at Wall as a suspect.
In May 2008, a relative found the body of David James "DJ" Vargas inside his home just outside the Las Vegas Strip. The self-employed 53-year-old had been trying to start an escort and limo service and owed Wall at least $100,000, Las Vegas Police Detective Clifford Mogg said.
Jeffrey Tidus, who worked as an attorney in Los Angeles, was shot in the head moments after walking out his Rolling Hills Estate home in December 2009. He died a day later.
Tidus' clients included a man who won an $11 million judgement against a friend of Wall's — a former tax attorney named Christopher Gruys. Weeks before the murder, the California Second District Court of Appeals upheld a verdict that cost Wall about $2.5 million and affirmed that his company engaged in fraud.
The original case was argued by the local lawyer, according to the Whittier Daily News.
The third victim, Juan Gabriel Ramirez-Mendez, was fatally shot in front of his 7-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son in February 2011. He previously worked for Wall and reportedly sued him in 2009 for violating business laws. The case was settled shortly before his death, with Wall never dishing out the settlement.
Officers said it was the similarities between the cases — each man was allegedly shot by a gunman at close range — that helped them link the slayings together.
Wall's attorney pushed back against the accusations, saying that they "make no sense."
"He happened to have litigation with the people," Attorney Rickey Ivie told the Los Angeles Times. "That's all. To me, that's wholly inadequate."
When asked about Wall's whereabouts, the attorney declined to comment.
"He's not a fugitive," Ivie said. "He hasn't been charged with anything."
www.nydailynews.com/news/national/businessman-named-suspect-execution-style-slayings-article-1.3506343
Thoughts? As far as I can tell, Wall is still being sought as a person of interest as of this posting date (November 7th, 2019) since no articles since 2017 have any updates and this was a relatively high-profile case. Wall's attorney is commenting with rose-colored glasses since while Wall might not be a fugitive in the traditional sense, he is still being sought as a person of interest.
The following was a Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Facebook posting about Wall (just copy and paste the url since the board is giving me issues trying to link to the actual post): " www. facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment/posts/2nd-update-homicide-detectives-seek-publics-assistance-identifying-persons-of-in/1848722381821333/
I'm not sure who to recommend to call since Wall is at least a person of interest in three homicides in two different states, except the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department at least stated on Facebook anyone with information can call Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org
As important as it is to locate Wall for questioning, there are obviously other people that need to be bought to justice and hopefully the puzzle is soon solved. Will be hard if in a country Wall can't be extradited from, but it is important for the memories of DJ Vargas, Jeffrey Tidus, and Juan Ramirez-Mendez that we at least try.
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