Dismembered Body Parts Discovered in Griffith Park
A jury found a 40-year-old man guilty of fatally strangling his 66-year-old live-in boyfriend, whose body parts were found in Griffith Park three years ago, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced. The jury of eight women and four men deliberated about one and a half days before finding Gabriel Campos Martinez guilty of the first-degree murder of Hervey Coronado Medellin.
Medellin was killed on or about Dec. 27, 2011. On Jan. 17, 2012, the victim’s head was discovered by two women in Griffith Park near the Hollywood sign. Other body parts that were later identified as Medellin were discovered in the area during a subsequent search. Medellin, a retired airline ticketing agent, died as a result of asphyxiation, prosecutors said. In early March 2014, Campos-Martinez was arrested in San Antonio, Texas. He was later extradited back to Los Angeles to stand trial. Deputy District Attorney Bobby Grace of the Major Crimes Division prosecuted the case. Campos-Martinez faces 25 years to life in state prison when he returns to court on Nov. 16 for sentencing in case BA422242 before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Katherine Mader. The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division.