By David K. Li and Andrew Blankstein -
NBC News
The man accused of murdering a beloved bishop in Southern California claimed the victim owed him money, but investigators said Wednesday they don't believe that's true.
Carlos Medina, 61, has been indicted for the murder of Bishop David O'Connell, 69, and could face up to 35 years in prison for the crime, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said.
[The husband of the murdered bishop's housekeeper in Los Angeles is arrested in connection with the crime]
Medina, the husband of O'Connell's housekeeper, claims he confronted the bishop about money he allegedly owed him, authorities said.
Michael Modica, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lieutenant, reported Wednesday that investigators do not believe that version.
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"When he was interviewed, he spoke, he offered several different reasons (reasons for killing O'Connell)," Modica told reporters at a press conference.
“
None of them make sense to researchers
.
So we do not believe that there is any validity in the (version) about a monetary debt ”.
[They investigate the death of a bishop shot in a house in Los Angeles]
Modica and Gascón left the brief conference without answering other questions about a possible motive for the murder that has shocked the religious and immigrant communities of Los Angeles.
Bishop was found multiple times fatally shot at his home in Hacienda Heights, in an east Los Angeles suburb, on Saturday.
Entry to the home was not forced, leading investigators to believe that Medina had a key, as he had previously done some work at the O'Connell home, according to Gascón.
Bishop David O'Connell in a 2020 file photo.Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images file
A deacon was the one who found the bishop's body, but believed that he had died of natural causes, Gascón explained.
"But the Sheriff's Department responded very quickly, then the paramedics arrived and it became obvious that it was not a natural death, but a crime," the prosecutor said.
Medina was arrested Monday at his home in the city of Torrance.
Auxiliary Bishop O'Connell was very popular in the Catholic community in southern California
for his work with the poor, immigrants and former gang members.
“His death is one we will deeply mourn for many years to come,” said Gascón, a progressive prosecutor who survived an impeachment attempt last year and faces re-election in 2024. “This was a brutal act of violence against a person who dedicated her life to making our neighborhoods a safer and healthier place and always served with life and compassion.”