Murder With Baseball Bat of Mentally Disabled Man Caught on Surveillance Tape in L.A.

[voivod]

LOS ANGELES — A mentally disabled man was beaten to death with a baseball bat on May 29, and the attack was captured by a surveillance camera in Los Angeles.


On Tuesday, May 29, 2007, around 8:45 p.m., James McKinney, 41, of Los Angeles, walked to a store from his home, a board and care facility for the mentally challenged. As he neared the corner of Wilton Place and Olympic Boulevard, a male assailant approached him from behind and violently struck the back of his head with an aluminum baseball bat. The suspect then fled on foot. McKinney, hemorrhaging, fell to the ground. An unidentified passerby called 911.

McKinney was rushed by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics to Cedars Sinai Hospital, where he died from severe head injuries on June 3rd.


Click here to watch the surveillance video posted on Fox affiliate KTTV.

Police describe the suspect as Hispanic, between the ages of 16 and 20 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall and approximately 175 pounds. In the surveillance tape, he was bald, wearing black shorts, a dark T-shirt and white tennis shoes.

"We hope that someone can identify the person who committed this horrific crime and will call police with information on his whereabouts," said LAPD spokesperson Officer April Harding.

Investigators are still evaluating evidence and interviewing witnesses, although no motive has been determined.

L.A. local Fox affiliate station KTTV TV 11 and the LAPD is asking that anyone with information is asked to call Wilshire Homicide Detective John Shafia or Detective Mark Holguin at (213) 473-0446. On weekends and during off-hours, phone the 24-hour Detective Information Desk at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).

[Wolfgang_'99]

The loser who hit the challenged man deserves to die. He makes me sick.

[Axxman300]

I see this crap and I think two things:

1. How can Al Qaeda compete with our home-grown scumbags?

2. Some day someone with all the wrong ideas will come to power in the US just by promising to make that scumbag go away and EVERYONE will vote for him/her.

[Bugs Meanie]

I didn't click on the video. I'll never understand the gall an adult could have to even poke fun at someone who is mentally retarded much less attack him with a freakin' baseball bat.

[Red]

2. Some day someone with all the wrong ideas will come to power in the US just by promising to make that scumbag go away and EVERYONE will vote for him/her.

Now there's something to ponder. I'll have to think about that.

Sharp, Axxman, very sharp indeed.


On a different note.....Is it just me or does the world seem to be more violent everyday? Seeing something like this makes me think so, but then again, there is nothing new under the sun. Is it just media/technology putting everything at our fingertips, therefore we think this kind of violence is new? Or have people always been this damned EVIL?

Hope they find him swiftly, and bring justice accordingly.

[Tropical Storm Tracey]

And our poor children wonder why we won't let them play outside by themselves.....this just makes me sick!

[muffdiver]

Geez, I watched the video link and the guy was just hanging out there for like 10 min. like he was just waiting for someone to come by , then he just nails the guy for no reason....What a fucking piece of crap...

Punk ass kids today... Just brutal.....

[Axxman300]

Now there's something to ponder. I'll have to think about that.

Sharp, Axxman, very sharp indeed.


On a different note.....Is it just me or does the world seem to be more violent everyday? Seeing something like this makes me think so, but then again, there is nothing new under the sun. Is it just media/technology putting everything at our fingertips, therefore we think this kind of violence is new? Or have people always been this damned EVIL?

Hope they find him swiftly, and bring justice accordingly.

Technically - no.

Back in the 30s and 40s, bums and winos were often beaten or set on fire by local kids. The difference is that today it's likely to be caught on video. Also, 10% of any population is going to have it's scumbags, it's just that the population is bigger than it was.

While doing research for my book, I read through every newspaper in my area from 1940 to 1994. There was just as much sick stuff in the news back then as there is today. The difference is that you knew that when they caught the guy he was going to die in the Chair or Gas Chamber in a timely manner. If it was a Minor, you knew that the cops left him in a room alone with his mom or dad so that they could beat the shit out of them.

Nobody felt sorry for crimials back then.

Look at those two teenagers who were sentenced in Florida for doing the same thing. Their fucking parents blamed the system. I'm a Liberal but there comes a point where you have to ask why this douche bag's rights are more important than the guy he killed and the next guy he's GOING to kill?

[voivod]

Baseball Bat Murder Suspect in Custody
The suspect hit the back of the man's head with an aluminum bat.

Los Angeles -- A man accused of using a baseball bat to fatally strike a mentally disabled man who was walking to a neighborhood store was under arrest today, police said.

A security camera showed a man walking up behind James McKinney, 41, and hitting him in the head with an aluminum baseball bat, then walking away as McKinney fell to the ground.

The attack happened about 8:45 p.m. May 29 at Wilton Place and Olympic Boulevard.

McKinney was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died five days later of massive head injuries.

The videotape was distributed to media outlets and someone recognized the suspect and told police of his whereabouts.

He was captured yesterday.

His identity was expected to be released this evening at a news conference, which the witness who helped detectives break the case was scheduled to attend.

[ZeoBandit]

Glad they caught the guy. What possesses someone to do that?

[voivod]

Glad they caught the guy. What possesses someone to do that?

Gang initiation?

[Axxman300]

Gang initiation?

I don't think so.

If it was, LA News Media should make a point to make fun of this particualr street gang. Killing an old mentally ill guy, ooooh, those are some tuff guys right there. They should be known from here on out as the "North End Pussies".

[MF5150]

I don't think I could watch that video....people like that who do stuff like this.... ....I can't even put into words.....

[sisca]

id be willing to bet it was gang initiation. he just picked a random guy, smacked him with a bat and walked off. no robbery, just a murder. and thats all they require. fucking sad. anyone, at anytime, can be the victim of a gang initiation. ive heard of random ppl being shot in the head and left for dead because some piece of shit thug wants to be in a gang.....this isnt any different.