What I’ve Learned So Far About the UCLA Coed’s Murder Case.

Los Angeles, CA—I took an early interest in the case because of my closeness to past and present UCLA students and alumni. 

It was about 7:00 AM when LAFD emergency vehicles came screaming to the Scene midblock at 10900 Roebling adjacent to the UCLA Campus.

It was a lucky break that some of the students there were awakened by screams and fellow residents were up trying to combat the fire with a fire extinguisher on the first floor, Eastern side of the complex. 

That was the residence of UCLA Spanish and Psychology major, Andrea “Andy” DelVesco.   Andy was an active member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. 

Some of the more observant kids present were able to tell the firemen that Andy was unaccounted for and they began an aggressive search.  They found Andy badly burned and beyond all medical aid.  Some 30 firefighters were able to contain the blaze within ten minutes.

Thankfully no others suffered injuries considering this was early when the complex residents would normally be asleep.  Without early discovery by neighbors and and LAFD intervention this could have been a tragic holocaust.  

Soon UCLA police and members of the LAPD determined that this was an arson fire that was set to cover up a murder.  Ignorant criminals often believe setting their crime scenes on fire will destroy evidence and make detection more difficult.  More often this creates even more evidence that will snare the criminals.  This would prove to be one of those cases.

Police quickly notified Andy’s parents, Art and Leslie DelVesco in Austin, TX.  They wasted no time, jumping on the next flight to L.A.  I can’t imagine the horror they are still reeling from and the devastation to their close-knit family.

Police did what cops do these days.  They quickly learned about the recent felony drug possession for sale arrest of Andy and discovered she was cooperating with authorities to curry favor possibly evading a ruined life with a felony conviction and prison term.

It’s obvious to me that the arresting agency (UCLA Police Department) dropped the ball badly here and failed to protect their indentured informant.

Police also obtained Andy’s computer and cellphone.  They’d also get search warrants to capture every possible communication records from her ISP, Email and phone providers.  That of course gave them a shopping list of potential suspects to investigate. 

Once they zeroed in on obvious involved characters their cell phone and emails would be captured via search warrants and analyzed too.

Police released the crime scene on September 21.  However curiously on the afternoon of the 23^rd they returned with a search warrant spending the next 30 hours sifting through the debris for evidence.

On September 27 police got a break in the case that gave them probable cause to arrest 22 year-old Alberto Medina who is a pre-psychology and social work major at Fresno State University. That also gave police the ability to obtain search warrants for his cars and residences.  Fresno police acting on a request from the LAPD took Medina down and into custody during a felony stop on the street without incident.

It was learned that Medina was a Member go the Lambada Chi Alpha Fraternity but was expelled over some bad behavior.  

That in turn led police back to the Westwood UCLA Campus.  On the evening of September 27 an LAPD SWAT team raided the nearby Strathmore Regency Apartments arresting 22 year-old Eric Marques for murder too. Needless to say they used a search warrant to locate and seize evidence from his apartment.

Like Andy and Alberto Medina, Eric Marquez had a promising future.  He was a pre-med biology UCLA student. 

On September 28, police felt they could announce their arrests to the media without comprising the investigation.

What remains to be told is more about the motive and the various informants and witnesses that were involved. One life senselessly snuffed out and two others that will unlikely ever taste their freedom again.

Because of the nature of the kinds of drugs seized from Andy by police last June it’s apparent at least to me that the drug ring was catering to Rave Festivals and such.

I have to ask when will we learn that the Drug War and the huge profits it generates are far more evil than the drugs themselves.  How many more lives will be lost or destroyed before we understand treating the addicted is far cheaper and better than the constant violence the Drug Was creates? 

In the meantime we will be waiting and watching as this nightmare unfolds in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Latest Update on The Murder of UCLA Coed Andrea DelVesco

Los Angeles, CA— Police had released the crime scene yesterday, however late this afternoon they returned serving a search warrant on yet another apartment.  That means that the police found enough probable cause to search the other apartment for evidence.  Only KNBC-TV 4’s camera was present and got the video!

Additionally I’ve obtained a copy of a complaint in the L.A. Superior Court charging Andrea DelVesco with four counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance For Sale.

The felony complaint details her arrest by officers of the UCLA Police Department last June. 

In the meantime here is what I have on this very troubling case:

Huge Downtown Inferno Rocks Los Angeles Overnight

Photo courtesy of KNBC-TV News

Los Angeles, CA—The City of Angeles was the scene of an overnight structure fire larger than I have ever seen before.  Reportedly over 250 firefighters battled the firestorm since it was reported at 1:20 AM. 

The massive blaze was adjacent to the Harbor #110 Freeway at the 900 block of Fremont Avenue. 

Additionally two nearby commercial high-rise buildings were severely damaged by heat, smoke, hundreds of broken windows and flooding from the sprinkler systems. 

Broken glass and debris could be found all over the neighborhood.  

By mid-morning the fire was nearly out but visibly smoldering.  I sent my drone up from the opposite side of the Harbor Freeway, which apparently was the only vantage point to see the ruins. 

The structure itself, which incidentally is located adjacent to a fire station, was to become the Da Vinci Apartments.  At least one million square feet of prime property was totally destroyed. 

Fire officials have said the blaze is very suspicious in nature and a massive investigation has begun with the LAPD and BATFE pooling their best resources. 

There are no damage estimates available right now but I'm sure it will be well into the hundreds of $Millions.

Reports are coming in that there has been criticism concerning the massive amount of wood used in the construction.  That causes me to shudder what a disaster this could have been had the apartments been completed and fully occupied.  Perhaps this was a cheap lesson in public safety. 

Here is some drone video of what’s left of the structure this morning. 

Paradise Valley Cops Arrest Five Suspects for Shapiro Murders

Town of Paradise Valley, AZ – Police Chief John Bennett announced the arrests of five suspects in connection with the gruesome murders of Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro.

Bennett identified the suspect as:
Michael Lee Crane, 31
Brittnay Beinhauer, 29
Kelly Steward, 29
Shawn Nicloy, 29
Danielle Rossman, 26


Michael Crane is charged with two counts of First Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Robbery, two counts of Kidnapping, one count each for Burglary and Arson. Others are charged with offenses from Hindering Prosecution to or including, Trafficking in Stolen Property

Crane is an ex-convict serving time for drugs, weapons violations and promoting prison contraband,


Every one of the suspects has a criminal history.

Police said they have no evidence that the Shapiro’s were specifically targeted. Police also say they recovered property and the murder weapon. For now we must guess on just who snitched breaking this case.

You will find court documents posted here as soon as they become available.

Police have no News of the Shapiro Murders in Paradise Valley

Town of Paradise Valley, AZ—Today's news from the police department on the gruesome Shapiro murders is that there’s no news.

Last week a town council official and the mayor spread rumors that two or three arrests had been made in the case.

Bringing people in for interviews does not an arrest make. Spreading misinformation is a poor way to put the town’s residents at ease. It became obvious when nobody was brought before a judge for initial appearance the town’s red-faced officials jumped the gun.

Today a polite press release suggested that they are making progress with the investigation and will notify the media when it’s appropriate.

The reality here is that the cops are not clairvoyant and these days most murders remain unsolved. If they make arrests they must be sure not destroy the life of anyone who is innocent. That’s easier said than done.

Arrests Made In Paradise Valley Shapiro Murders and Arson

Town of Paradise Valley, AZ-I called it right when I said last night that the cops avoidance of the media was a sure sign they were moving in on suspects. The cops only go to the media when they need to reach out for tips and information. Of course they need to announce their victorious arrests on high profile cases.

Sometime this morning the town’s council members and mayor were buzzing about the developments in this horrific and gruesome crime. It's all very unofficial right now.

Reportedly they have at least three unidentified suspects in custody in connection with the murders. That information was passed on to neighbors by the town's mayor and at least one council member.

If this is indeed true police would are putting the finishing touches on their investigation in preparation of a Probable Cause Statement for court booking purposes.

The evidentry keys here are service of search warrants and the recovery of property taken from the Shapiros along with credit card transactions. Of course most suspects let loose in the interrogation rooms either through confession or lies to hang themselves.

Calls and e-mails to the town police department have yet to be returned.

I expect they’ll have a formal press conference to announce the arrests. Right now we’re waiting for that to happen.

We can only hope that the officers and investigators of this small department have learned from past disasters along with the expensive litigation that followed. Perhaps this time they will get it right.

Update: It’s 8:00 PM in Arizona and they have not officially announced the arrests. Perhaps there are other outstanding suspects being sought. In any event they must get anyone in custody in front of a judge or let them go.

Click here for the latest and all articles connected to this case.

Horrifying Double Murder Challenges The Paradise Valley Arizona Police Department

Paradise Valley, AZ—In this tranquil and upscale community crime is rare. The people here generally have wealth and in our faltering economy burglaries and home invasions are bound to increase. As bank robber Willie Sutton once answered a reporter asking him why he robbed banks, “It’s where the money is!”

Today gold, gems and a simple set of silver flatware will fetch record prices. Most people use banks and credit cards and don’t keep much cash on hand.

The police department here is comprised of 25 sworn and certified officers. This department has a history of incompetence and became a place for otherwise unemployable cops fired from other agencies. This was the case in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

I don’t want to leave anyone with that impression today because the troubled officers for the most part have faded off into the sunset with their substandard supervisors and chiefs.

Commander Alan Laitsch has been around a long time and has proven himself to be contentious and professional in every respect.

There is a problem though and that is no fault of any current officer, it’s that they just don’t have experience with murder or shooting investigations in this promised land.

Paradise Valley has simply turned their police into a revenue robot traffic camera extortion racket that rakes in the cash. The first and foremost purpose of the department is generating revenue.

This agency also monitors resident’s burglar alarms and provides a vacation watch. Of course they do have burglaries and occasional vandalism. The clear up rate for these crimes is low in every community.

Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro was a lovely couple enjoying their golden years doting on their children and grand children. The couple have been married forever and shared their good fortune and wealth with several charities. All good things come from better education and Stanford’s School of Medicine did not fail Lawrence in that regard.

A follow-up investigation to a torched automobile belonging to the Shapiro’s led police to the couple’s Paradise Valley Home. The home was on fire and the couple was found bound and burned beyond recognition.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner has not formally identified the bodies and has been diligently trying to determine the exact cause of death.

There’s little doubt that last moments of the Shapiro’s lives was as frightening as it gets. The sadistic animals responsible for this need to be removed from the streets or this will not be their last crime.

Paradise Valley Police reportedly have obtained the help of the FBI, Secret Service and US Marshall’s service. That’s not enough. What’s needed is a crack team of big city homicide detectives where there are a lot of homicides.

There is another problem with this case and that is wealthy people have different issues than the residents of a large crime ridden city where the homicide victims tend to be poor.

Investigation of the Shapiro murders is going to require a massive paper investigation to determine just how and why this couple was targeted. Somehow I doubt seriously this was a random crime.

It will prove interesting if the killer/s used any of the couple’s credit cards. Many savvy criminals dump cards in places, were they can be found and used by petty crooks to throw investigators off their scent. The fact that the Secret Service is involved is a sure sign the cards were believed to be used after the couple was murdered since this organization is well known for their prowess at investigation of credit card fraud. Bringing in the US Marshall's Service suggests to me that someone thinks a federal fugitive is somehow involved.

I have to say that I can’t imagine the heartbreak this crime has brought a lovely family.

This crime is solvable.

Anyone with information should contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377), 1-800-343-TIPS (8477) or 480-TESTIGO (837-8446). So far the reward stands at $5,000.00.

I’m also willing to accept information on this case and to pass it on to police investigators.

Udate: I was in Beverly Hills on assignment when KPHO-TV CBS 5 requested a Skype interview. http://www.kpho.com/story/16667248/pi