Preparedness
Plumber’s Bank Transactions Unveil Murders in Unexpected Twist
A peculiar detail in banking transactions was the telltale clue that led California law enforcement officers to potentially link a plumber to a murder case. Rotherie Durell Foster, 38, already incarcerated on suspicion of a different murder, is now faced with charges related to the death of a former client, a case previously thought to be due to natural causes.
Foster, a resident of Camarillo, was initially apprehended for the alleged murder of José Antonio Velásquez, a fellow plumber who disappeared in July 2022. Velásquez’s remains were uncovered several months later in the Santa Monica mountains, as reported by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office.
“Potential for murder for financial gain.”
Prosecutors have leveled accusations against Foster for using a firearm to “violently” procure Velásquez’s financial data. This, they claim, allowed him to illicitly purchase gas, clothes, and food with the pilfered funds.
While building a case against Foster for this crime, the detectives spotted an interesting connection with the death of an elderly man whose remains were discovered on January 10, 2022.
Bill Dean Levy, a 72-year-old man from Granada Hills, was found deceased in his home. At the time, the death wasn’t deemed suspicious and no autopsy was performed. Levy’s death was chalked up to natural causes and he was laid to rest.
However, the narrative shifted when investigators noted multiple payments from Levy to Foster via bank transactions. Intriguingly, these payments were dated January 11, one day after Levy’s death.
This peculiar detail triggered an alarm for the police, who suspected these payments could be a pattern akin to those made posthumously by Velásquez, or as it was labeled, “potential for murder for financial gain.”
Further investigation revealed that Foster had been hired for plumbing jobs at Levy’s residence on several occasions. To confirm whether another homicide had occurred, authorities decided to exhume Levy’s remains.
The ensuing examination by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office discovered that Levy had died from exposure to fentanyl, not natural causes as initially believed. Consequently, his cause of death was changed to homicide.
Presented with this and additional evidence, authorities have charged Foster in connection with Levy’s death. Police are currently probing other dubious bank transactions from another Los Angeles resident to Foster. He’s also facing charges related to an armed robbery of a convenience store in July 2022.
Foster’s list of charges is extensive, with 33 felony counts, including first-degree murder, murder during a burglary, identity theft, and forgery.
He has a prior conviction from his juvenile years for involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. Officials shared that he was sentenced to a 21-year prison term, but it remains unclear how much of this he actually served.
Levy, who lived alone, had bequeathed his entire estate to several charities, including the American Heart Association and Children’s Hospital.
The video news report about the case is available on KTLA-TV.
Watch a local news report about the incident below:
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The attorney for the 17-year-old accused of attempting to murder Ricky Pearsall, a first-round draft pick for the 49ers, is challenging the charges. According to the defense, the incident, which occurred during an attempted robbery earlier this month, does not constitute attempted murder.
“It was a rather extended struggle between Mr. Pearsall and my client,” stated public defender Robert Dunlap in an interview with David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com.
“They were really fighting back and forth on the sidewalk. As you might imagine, Mr. Pearsall gets the best of it. He does kind of — I don’t know if you’ve ever wrestled or not — a nice hip toss and throws my client to the ground and ends up on top of him. . . . I think [the video] supports that this is an attempted robbery and not an attempted murder.”
Dunlap also addressed and refuted a report alleging that his client had brought a gun to school.
“My client did not have a gun at school,” Dunlap said. “It’s a false report.”
Despite these arguments, prosecutors have chosen to charge Dunlap’s client with attempted murder. However, they have not yet determined if the young defendant will be tried as an adult.
The next court hearing for this case is scheduled for September 26.
Watch a local news report about the incident below:
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A son, armed and vigilant, responded to a potential burglary at his mother’s unoccupied home in West Virginia during the early hours of the morning. The encounter ended fatally for the alleged intruder.
Authorities reported that the son, checking on the residence around 3:45 a.m., encountered an individual who turned toward him holding an object.
“Unwise move on the part of the intruder.”
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a male stating he had just shot an intruder at his mother’s Inwood home on Winchester Avenue.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered a male lying face down with a gunshot wound. Immediate life-saving measures were administered until emergency medical services arrived, but the individual was pronounced dead shortly after.
The deceased was identified as 38-year-old Joshua Boone from Williamsport, Maryland. The sheriff’s office confirmed that Boone’s next of kin had been notified.
The investigation revealed that the son, identified by WDVM-TV as Michael Marshal, had gone to the home after hearing about a possible break-in. Marshal told deputies that Boone turned toward him “with something in his hand,” prompting Marshal to fire his handgun.
Boone was located in the garage of the residence, where the fatal shot occurred.
The Department of Criminal Investigators processed the scene for evidence and is conducting a thorough investigation into the shooting. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to the Berkeley County Prosecutors Office.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding this case to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 304-267-7000.
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A tragic incident in Michigan has resulted in a teenage boy facing severe charges after allegedly shooting another teen and fatally wounding the teen’s mother, who was trying to protect her son.
Anthony Deshawn Sneed, 15, is being charged as an adult with multiple serious offenses stemming from the incident that occurred on September 4th in Clinton Township.
The charges against Sneed include felony murder as a juvenile defendant, second-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, and four counts of felony firearm possession.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the conflict began when Sneed got into a fight with the son of Tanseen Sherrod.
During the altercation, Sneed allegedly stole a handgun from the other teen.
When Sherrod attempted to intervene in hopes of calming the situation, she was tragically shot by Sneed, authorities reported.
Details surrounding the exact nature of the fatal confrontation have not been made public.
The other teen involved in the incident was also shot and sustained critical injuries, though his current condition has not been disclosed.
Following the shooting, Sneed fled the scene but turned himself in to Detroit authorities the following day.
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