3 homeless men killed while sleeping
Three homeless men have been stabbed to death in north Orange County, California, in recent weeks, raising alarm in homeless camps as police try to determine whether any single motive links the killings.The men were all stabbed multiple times as they slept alone. Police posted bulletins at homeless shelters describing the killings as "remarkably similar," but said it was still too early to say whether anything more than the men's homelessness connected their deaths.
Homeless people said the killings have only underscored a rule of life on the streets. "Nobody here sleeps alone," said Sherissa Houston, 49, who lives around Anaheim's La Palma Park. "Nobody here stays alone. Always."
The body of the first victim was found on Dec. 21 at a shopping center in Placentia, not far from a park; he was identified as James McGillivray, 53. One week later, another body was found on the Santa Ana River Trail; he was identified as Lloyd Middaugh, 42.
The body of the third victim was found late Friday afternoon at the bottom of a stairwell behind the Yorba Linda library. He was identified as Paulus Cornelius Smit, 57. Candles still burned for him at a small memorial at the stairwell on Tuesday, next to a man's photo framed by the words, "Rest In Peace Dutch."
Police have declined to release a grainy surveillance video that shows a thin man dressed in black lying in wait and then stabbing McGillivray, the first victim.
Read the Orange County Register report here.
posted by Jacqueline Dowd @ 12:13 AM
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