Suspect Charged for Murder of Woman Found in Pasadena Park

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, at approximately 7:52 a.m., Pasadena Police responded to Hahamongna Watershed Park in response to a deceased adult female victim found by a passerby. Evidence from the crime scene indicated the victim had been stabbed multiple times. The victim was positively identified as 49-year-old Elena Ledford, a resident of Glendale. An autopsy examination of Ledford by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office determined the cause of death to be the result of multiple sharp force injuries.

Pasadena homicide detectives developed leads early in the investigation, revealing the location of the murder to be a parking lot at La Cañada High School, directly across the street from where Ledford’s body was found. Furthermore, detectives identified 26-year-old Pasadena resident Adrian Robert Casey as the likely suspect. Casey is currently on parole with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and had a familiar relationship with Ledford, according to police.

Pasadena detectives learned that Casey had left California shortly after the murder and on Thursday, Nov. 26, he was taken into custody with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s office, near Albuquerque, N.M. According to the Pasadena Police Department, homicide personnel responded to New Mexico and recovered additional evidence, including what they believe to be the murder weapon and other items linking the suspect to the crime.

On Dec. 3, the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and Casey was charged with murder, among other charges. He currently remains in custody in New Mexico on a CDCR Parole Violation charge and is awaiting extradition back to California.

Ledford’s family requests privacy during this time.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to call the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4241.

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