Natalia Chi
A jury in Los Angeles on Friday convicted a man of second-degree murder. 2018 mass shooting The case of a father camping with his young daughters and the attempted murder of two girls at a popular state park in Southern California’s Malibu area.
it was one of them Mysterious shooting incidents occur frequently Anthony Lauda’s burglary in the area dating back to 2016 was billed in relation to.
On June 22, 2018, in Malibu Creek State Park, about 30 miles northwest of downtown, the 35-year-old father of a chemist from Irvine was camping with his daughters in a tent, Lauda, 46. shot Tristan Baudette in the head. Los Angeles, the jury has ruled.
The jury also found him guilty of one count of attempted murder, in which he opened fire on a vehicle four days before Baudette’s death, but acquitted him of seven counts of attempted murder in other shootings.
But a jury found him guilty of all five of the robberies he faced.
At the time, Baudette’s murder, combined with revelations of other mysterious shootings, rocked the surrounding area, and the state park was closed for nearly a year.it was do not resume For campers until May 2019.
A jury acquitted Lauda of first-degree murder, but convicted him of a second-degree crime. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison and is due to be sentenced next month.
To be convicted of first-degree murder, the government must prove intent and premeditation. It does not apply to second-degree murder.
Baudette’s daughters, who were two and four years old at the time, were not injured but are believed to be victims of attempted murder. A jury found Lauda guilty of attempted murder involving the girls, but ruled that Lauda did not act intentionally or premeditatedly to kill the girls.
Lauda has waived his right to appear in court and did not attend Friday’s sentencing. Prosecutors declined to comment on the results.
Lauda’s attorney, Nicholas C. Okorocha, said after the verdict, “I appreciate how careful the jury was.” “The jury did a good job with attention to detail.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said there were at least seven unsolved shootings in the area dating back to November 2016, prior to Lauda’s arrest, during an investigation into the Baudette shooting.
Lauda was detained in a ravine near the park with a rifle in his backpack on October 10, 2018, about four months after Baudette’s murder. Described by sheriff officials as a “survivalist” who lives outdoors, he was initially arrested in connection with several robberies in the area and later charged with the murder of Baudette and other shootings.
Lauda previously served time in state prison for possession of explosives and later for possession of a loaded gun, which is illegal for felony convicts. Authorities said he was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Wildfires have burned down much of Malibu Creek State Park, which served as the set for movies and TV shows like Mash.
