A jury in Los Angeles on Friday found a man guilty of first-degree murder 2018 shoot dead of a father camping with his young daughters – and of the attempted murder of the two young girls – all in a popular state park in Southern California’s Malibu area.
It was one of them eruption of mysterious shootings and burglaries in the area dating back to 2016 that Anthony Rauda suspects was charged in connection with.
Rauda, ​​46, fatally shot Tristan Beaudette in the head while the 35-year-old father, an Irvine chemist, camped with his daughters in a tent at Malibu Creek State Park, about 30 miles northwest of downtown, on June 22, 2018 Los Angeles, the jury ruled.
While the jury also found Rauda guilty of one attempted murder charge for shooting at a vehicle four days prior to Beaudette’s murder, he was found not guilty of seven other counts of attempted murder in multiple other shootings.
However, the jury found him guilty of all five burglaries he faced.
At the time, Beaudette’s murder — coupled with the revelation of the other mysterious shootings — shocked the surrounding community and closed the state park for nearly a year. It did not reopen for campers until May 2019.
The jury acquitted Rauda on a first-degree murder charge, but convicted him of a second-degree misdemeanor. He faces 40 years to life in prison and will be sentenced next month.
A first-degree murder conviction requires the government to prove intent and premeditation. Not premeditated manslaughter.
Beaudette’s daughters, aged 2 and 4 at the time, were not injured but were considered victims of attempted murder. The jury convicted Rauda based on the number of attempted murders related to the girls, but ruled that Rauda had not acted intentionally to kill them or with premeditation.
Rauda had waived his right to appear in court and was not present at the verdict on Friday. Prosecutors declined to comment on the outcome.
“I appreciate how careful the jury appears to have been,” Rauda’s attorney, Nicholas C. Okorocha, said after the verdict. “The jury did a good job of being careful and detailed.”
During the investigation into Beaudette’s death and prior to Rauda’s arrest, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department revealed that there were at least seven other unsolved shootings in the area dating back to November 2016.
Rauda was taken into custody in a ravine near the park on October 10, 2018, nearly four months after Beaudette’s murder, with a rifle in his backpack. Described by sheriff’s authorities as a “survivalist” who lived outdoors, he was initially apprehended in connection with several burglaries in the area, before being charged with Beaudette’s murder and the other shootings.
Rauda previously served time in state prison for possession of explosives and later for possession of a loaded gun, which is illegal for those with felony convictions. According to authorities, he was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Much of Malibu Creek State Park, which has served as the setting for movies and TV shows like “MASH,” has been charred by wildfires.
