Tustin Man Sentenced to 17 Years to Life for Slaying Live-In Girlfriend

Michael Dean Cyrus, found guilty last month of slaying his live-in girlfriend, was sentenced Friday to 17 years to life in prison.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Ragnar Engebretsen said Cyrus would not have killed 21-year-old Melanie Ann McLaughlin, the woman he had lived with for two years, in June, 1988, if he had not been drunk. Engebretsen also fined Cyrus $2,500.

Cyrus, 26, of Tustin, was found guilty of second-degree murder July 5 after a three-week trial. Witnesses for both sides described Cyrus, who had moved to Tustin along with McLaughlin from Bishop, Calif., as basically a good man who had a drinking problem.

Witnesses said Cyrus and McLaughlin had met in Bishop and started dating only after coming to Orange County about four years ago, according to court documents. They had lived together about two years.

On June 21, 1988, the two were at the Goat Hill Tavern in Costa Mesa watching the Lakers-Detroit Pistons basketball playoff game when McLaughlin started to talk with another man, according to the court file.

Several witnesses who were at the bar testified to having seen Cyrus, whom they described as “very drunk,” grab McLaughlin by the neck and shake her.

In the parking lot, Cyrus was so angry that he dented the front fender of his car with his fist before the couple drove home to the Pasadena Village Apartments in Tustin, according to the court file.

Around 10:30 p.m., neighbors, including Rodney Goodpasture, an ex-Marine who lived next door, testified that they heard banging on the wall. Police later found nine holes punched in the apartment wall. Goodpasture told police that he had heard a voice, apparently McLaughlin’s, say, “He’s going to kill me,” according to the documents.

Several minutes later, gunshots were heard.

Cyrus testified during the trial that he could not remember the events leading to McLaughlin’s death. He said he was in shock over the incident.

After the shooting, McLaughlin was found shot in the temple lying on the bed with her shirt torn, according to documents. A maintenance man who found McLaughlin testified that Cyrus, who had blood on his hands, then aimed the gun at him. The man said he dropped to the floor and crawled out of the room.

Cyrus called the emergency 911 number twice to report the incident, the first time only seconds after the shooting. Engebretsen disallowed use of tapes from the calls, ruling that they would add emotion but no new evidence.

Cyrus’ attorney, Keith Monroe, said he would appeal the case because the tapes were disallowed and because no fingerprints were found on the gun, which had been held by police for more than a year.

Cyrus remained in Orange County Jail on Friday, pending transfer to a state prison. He was given credit for more than a year that he has served since he was arrested the night of the murder.

Monroe said an appeal would be filed by the end of the week.