Man kills serial pedophile
Thursday, May. 21 2009 @ 12:08PM
The Husted family was turning in for the night late Wednesday when the killer came. Wearing a motorcycle helmet, he entered through a sliding glass door at the familys' $3,250,000 beach home on Faria Rd. The killer found Davina Husted in the kitchen of the residence. He attacked the 42-year-old pregnant mother of 2 with a knife. Her husband Brock Husted, also 42, came running from a bedroom and he was stabbed as well.
Davina Husted/Facebook
The Husteds' 9-year-old son, who'd been watching TV when the attack occurred, witnessed everything. He and his 11-year-old sister, who was asleep at the time, were not physically harmed.
The helmeted killer stabbed husband and wife up to 10 times apiece in the torso before silently exiting the residence. Neighbors in the upscale community say they didn't hear anything - no motorcycle or distinctive vehicle revving up as the killer left.
NBC Los Angeles reports that due to Davina Husted's pregnancy, the case is being investigated as a triple homicide.
Police are describing the murders as "sort of a whodunit." They do not know if the home was targeted by a random psycho or someone who had a vendetta against the family.
Based on the few details available at the moment, this sounds like a targeted "hit" more than anything. Who could have wanted to assassinate Brock and Davina Husted?
According to this article http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/may/21/couple-remembered-as-lively-and-loving/,
Posted 05/22/2009 at 10:36:06 PM"police have detained one person for questioning in the crime."
The house is immediately on the beach. It appears that the water comes right up to the back patio at high tide. The murderer mounted the steps from the beach and came in through the patio. The murders occurred around 10:30 pm, which I think (if I interpreted tide tables correctly) was about 2-3 hours after high tide, and therefore not a good time to be walking along the beach.
Police seem to be searching for a transient, but there is no obvious spot for a homeless encampment immediately nearby. The house is located in a gated community - a narrow strip of tight-packed houses between the ocean and a highway. A neighbor reports hearing someone unknown moving around in her house around the time of the murder, so it may have been a transient, but it looks like a difficult place to disappear in while wearing a motorcycle helmet but travelling on foot. Also the murder seems planned: dressed to disguise, entered an occupied house deliberately, killed the adults thoroughly, no sign of robbery, left right away leaving no clues (as far as we know). A transient may have decided to kill someone for no reason or a crazy reason, but if it was an impulse crime it was well-executed and the escape was complete.
I wonder if the murderer a) arrived and departed by boat, or b) lives inside the gates. The Husteds are said to have had stable finances, no business problems, and no enemies. Davina Husted was very beautiful, well-known locally (former beauty queen, philanthropist) and she may have had a stalker.
Posted 05/22/2009 at 11:34:53 PMAlthough police are searching the various jungles (hobo camps) I don't think this is some helmeted homicidal transient.
Upscale community, 3.25MM home, ... homeless people stick out in areas like that.
Helmeted? Full motorcycle helmet? Obscures head from security cameras and from nosy neighbors. What would a transient be doing with a motorcycle helmet? He'd have pawned it for a few bucks.
Entry by sliding glass patio doors... doesn't prove familiarity with the home but I think that more than I think transient in the brush.
I'd look at family finances on this one. (Yes, I hate myself for that knee-jerk reaction). An ornamental wrought iron business in touristy Santa Barbara? Interesting.
No engine noise heard by neighbors might indicate use of bicycle or getaway driver in car.
Posted 05/23/2009 at 06:15:09 AMThe only indication of random killing is that neighbors later learned that their houseguest was stopped by a police roadblock and so could not have been the one who was opening and closing doors and moving furniture in their home. If the noises were as described and there was entry into two homes it would seem even more strange: a false trail or a truly random crime. Beach access is easy so the gated community provides little real safety. I can't really see anyone killing two people in one home and then merely rifling through the furniture drawers in another.
Posted 05/24/2009 at 05:54:27 AMToday's local paper makes it sound like possibly a hot prowl gone horribly wrong, by two motorcycle riders who were visiting the nearby campground. I have heard (unconfirmed) reports that the knife came from the kitchen. The neighbor who reported hearing an intruder might've had the other m/c rider, not the killer in her home. See today's article in the Ventura County Star: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/may/22/police-scour-faria-beach-area-today-for-clues-in/
Posted 05/24/2009 at 11:38:03 AMThis was incredibly tragic. The Beach access is very difficult at high tide and at night (large rocks) The houses are all close together and you have to walk between houses to get to the beach side entrance. There is the community drive, then the row of houses across from theirs, then the old hwy 1, then the hill up to the 101. Not easy, but not too difficult for someone with a plan. Neigbors not hearing engine noise doesnt surprise me at all. it wouldnt take much in that area to get quickly to a place where they couldnt be heard...
Posted 05/24/2009 at 08:39:57 PMYes. "Hot prowl gone wrong".
Posted 05/25/2009 at 11:03:31 AMHigh tides? With an over-crowded camp ground it may well have been that the two motorcyclists took some beer down to the beach far earlier in the evening and after a spell of drinking and dozing realized the incoming tide made that stairway the most inviting means of escape. They then encountered two upscale and wide-open homes just ripe for some easy pickings. The use of the knife from the home's kitchen indicates lack of planning the overkill of multiple stabbings indicates a sudden emotional response.
High Tides would hinder beach access only at the time of actual crime commission, not earlier wanderings along the beach. Anyone stabbing two people that many times is likely to have blood on him and he would have had to have washed up somewhere, preferably somewhere nearby!
I hope there is a lint trap in the bathroom drain in that campground!
The high tide was 7:00-ish, right? There is very little/ no access at the highest tide. Creepy, but maybe they were prowling around at the houses for hours. Why go in a house that obviously awake people are in, tho? Drug-addled pea-brains. The house that the owners thought they heard someone in is up the beach 7 or 8 houses. Without direct access. But with the drug-addled brains, how would they be good enough to not leave blood/ fingerprints/etc ? ANd did they finally say the knife is from the kitchen? I didnt see that.
Posted 05/25/2009 at 12:33:43 PMAt first I thought it was a random killing. Now I think that the killer knew the victims. I don't think the killer had a motorcycle...I think they were just dressed for the act. Money is sometimes the root of all evil. My thoughts and prayers go out to the children, their parents, and the rest of the family.
Posted 05/25/2009 at 10:57:41 PMThere does not appear to be any indication of having known the victims. Its the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil. No motorcycle was heard in the immediate area but its a short walk from where motorcycles are commonly parked.
Posted 05/26/2009 at 06:23:19 AMLocal TV and newspapers report that detectives say these victims were targeted. No supporting information has been released.
Posted 05/28/2009 at 05:15:59 PMhttp://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/may/28/detectives-believe-killer-targeted-faria-beach/
It's odd this story is not getting more coverage, don't you think? It also does not seem there is the amount of public outcry you would expect. Something just seems very strange about this super tragic event.
Posted 05/28/2009 at 06:28:38 PMActually all the police are really saying is that right now they believe it is more probable that this was targeted as opposed to random but they don't seem to have any strong evidence either way. Considering the uproar in the upscale neighborhood, I think the cops would want to have the public thinking 'targeted' right now anyway.
Posted 05/28/2009 at 07:34:37 PMI think it was targeted, but that's my own opinion. The fact that it could have been "random" is not random enough for me. I just feel awful for the kids. That boy saw it all! What tragety!! I just feel for the family and my thoughts and prayers go out to them. RIP.
Posted 05/29/2009 at 11:28:27 AMTargeted is interesting:
Posted 05/29/2009 at 06:57:28 PMRemote area. Lying in wait. Other houses available that were dark or semi-dark rather than clearly occupied.
The trouble is there seems to be such a squeaky clean lifestyle that its hard to formulate the basis for someone wanting to kill the couple. It seems strange that a hitman would leave the kid(s) alive. It also seems strange to have multiple stabbings yet no cleanup in the house.
Also, a targeted hit is not usually so personal and messy, is it? You would think more about a gun with silencer. If it wasn't random with a an intruder that freaked, somebody was really cranky with these people. I'll bet the police have no clue...
Posted 05/29/2009 at 09:37:46 PM> I'll bet the police have no clue...
Posted 05/30/2009 at 04:05:01 AMPrecisely. Police mouthings about the couple having been targeted are to dampen public fears and lessen criticism of the police.
I too would think a professional hit would be more clean and that a professional would never somehow be unaware of a nine year old kid sitting there and watching the television set. If a professional hit, it would be clean, quiet and effective, not show signs of incompetence and intense emotions.
Was it just a drunken impulse? A few hours down on the beach consuming various substances and then an entry into a well-lit and clearly occupied home with a blaring TV set?
I'd like to hear more about the burglar at the nearby house?
The trouble is: if you have a motorcycle what are you going to steal? You have to carry it to your motorcycle and then carry it on your motorcycle?
I know of more than one business man that had an employee or two, who wanted to either take over the business or steal it from them. If his business was doing well at this time then maybe other simular businesses werent, due to the fact that this guy had a good clientel in Santa Barbara.
Posted 05/31/2009 at 10:24:19 PMThis sounds like the original night stalker, Sacramento's "east area rapist" This man is responsible for at least 50 unsolved rapes, 12 unsolved murders, and he's never been caught! His last murders were in SoCal years ago, these murders definitely match his m.o. It seems like he is trying to revive the fear he created years ago for his numerous rapes and murders.
Posted 06/01/2009 at 11:45:06 AMVery similar in some ways, including history in Ventura. Note final paragraphs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Night_Stalker
Posted 06/01/2009 at 07:26:32 PMWouldn't the original night stalker be a geriatric case by now incapable of clibing up Mount Suribachi drive to get back to the highway area and return to his motorcycle?
Posted 06/01/2009 at 11:17:09 PM
Posted 06/04/2009 at 07:54:42 PMThe re-emergence of earons. . . Yes,that's one reason that LE is being circumspect in their statements.
As to being geriatric,the earons has taken very good care of himself.When compared to what is already known(at least publicly)about earons' last 10 murders-in particular the M.O.-this is a sophisticated,more evolved M.O.
Anyone familiar with the movie "Mr. Brooks"?He's back for one last time and relishing the moment,especially the public reaction which hasn't changed.See how they run. . . .
There's a new murder not far from where the Husteds died, possibly related? By the way, I think maybe Columbo wrote this headline....
Posted 06/04/2009 at 09:30:47 PMhttp://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jun/04/no-headline---nxxfcvtastab05/
Link Between Ventura County Killings? Woman found stabbed near scene of double murder.
Has anyone connected The Original Night Stalker/East Area Rapist who murdered six people in Southern California from 1979 through 1986.Six murders in Ventura, Dana Point and Irvine, California, have been linked by DNA evidence to the Original Night Stalker. The Original Night Stalker is considered one of the worst serial offenders in California, and American history, and is also connected to at least 50 other rapes in California, and is the most prolific unapprehended serial criminal in history since the Middle Ages.
The EAR-ONS case was the motivating factor in the passage of legislation leading to the establishment of California's DNA database, which authorizes the collection of the DNA of all convicted felons in California. California's DNA data retrieval and storage program is considered by experts to be second only to Virginia's in size and effectiveness in breaking cold cases.
Brock and Davina Husted, both 42, were stabbed to death by an intruder in their Faria Beach home on May 20 at about 10:30 p.m. The Ventura Cnty. Sheriff immediatly developed the theory that they were murdered by a "crazed homeless person." This theory was never explained in detail, and a closer examination reveals some interesting similarities to the ONS. The home was for sale and located near water. Killer had no motive, and used a motorcycle helmet (ONS is known to have used a welder's helmet on at least one occasion during the East Area Rapes.) As in other ONS cases the expensive single-story home was in a gated community adjacent to Hiway 1. No diamond knot was used. But, ONS is known to change his MO, and no ligatures were used in the Maggiore murders (attributed to EAR). And, it is possible that the murderer was confronted by the victims before he had an opportunity to control the scene. Authorities have released virtually no information about the crime scene evidence. As of 5/28/09 the Ventura Cnty. Sheriff is now claiming it was a "random" crime.
Posted 06/09/2009 at 12:19:01 PMIS THERE ANY NEWS ABOUT THIS CRIME?
Posted 07/13/2009 at 07:40:06 AMDid they take DNA from the baby? Was the baby truly Brock's? Brock's brother seems suspicious to me.
Posted 07/21/2009 at 02:40:29 AM
Posted 12/25/2009 at 07:57:38 AMDetectives have also served numerous search warrants, many related to the victims' records or properties.
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-ventura-double-homicide,0,5523875.story