Skeletal Remains are Unearthed in Probe of “Trash Bag” Murders
by Los Angeles
Skeletal remains believed to be one of 28 persons killed in the so-called “Trash Bag” murders were unearthed Thursday in a Culver City back yard, sheriff’s deputies said. The house on a quiet residential street behind a movie lot was occupied from 1968-1970 by two avowed homosexuals who have been charged in two of the murders, said sheriff’s Lt. Ed Douglas. One of the defendants, Patrick Kearney, led authorities to the Van Buren Avenue lot behind the movie studio that once housed Desilu Productions, now owned by Culver City Productions, Douglas said, adding they were told the victim had been shot to death. “This appears to be the first of the murders,” Douglas said.
“We believe this was the first residence in which they (the defendants) lived together.” Kearney, 37, and David Hill, 34, surrendered in Riverside last week and were arraigned on charges of murdering Arturo Marquez, 24, of Oxnard and John LaMay, 17, of El Segundo. Douglas said Kearney told deputies the Culver City dead man’s name was “George” but gave no other identification or details. It was the 13th body linked to the defendants since the series of grisly homosexual-oriented murders began. Police in Escondido, north of San Diego, said they believe the 1973 slaying of a Florida youth was the 12th body. The body of James Fletcher Barwick, a 17-year-old transient, was found September 22, 1973, on San Pasqual Road southeast of Escondido.
He had been shot in the head. Police Homicide Captain Wesley Allen said there was no direct information linking Barwick to the other killings but “the situation is reasonably consistent.” Two bodies found in San Diego County last fall and linked to the case were of Timothy Ingham, 19, of Merced, found near Borrego Springs, and that of an unidentified man whose body was found east of El Cajon. Both were shot in the head. Ace Los Angeles police detective “Jigsaw” John St. John said Wednesday the body of John Woods, 23, might be No. 11, although there is no concrete evidence linking Woods’ similar shooting death with the trash bag murders.
