Wife Suspected in Slaying First Called a Robbery

The wife of a West Los Angeles transmission shop owner who was gunned down in his shop last Thursday was detained this week in connection with the slaying, police said Wednesday.

Catherine Thompson of West Hills in the San Fernando Valley was released from custody Wednesday afternoon, but police said they still consider her a suspect.

Thompson was arrested Monday in the death of her husband, Melvin Thompson, 49, owner of Kayser’s Service on Santa Monica Boulevard, Detective Andy Monsue said.

She was held in a Van Nuys jail until her release, Monsue said. No charges were filed, Monsue said, adding that the case is still under “active investigation.” He declined to release any other details.

“But I can confirm that we feel she is involved in the murder,” he said.

Monsue said the police, who initially considered the motive to be robbery, are now treating the death as a murder.

Alex Kessel, Thompson’s attorney, said his client was not involved in her husband’s death.

“This ordeal is simply devastating for Catherine,” Kessel said. “She is very upset. She and her husband were close and ran a business. She had absolutely nothing to do with his death. She was the one who dialed 911. They’ll never make a case against her.”

Kessel said his client is being treated as a suspect because of statements reportedly made by Phillip Conrad Sanders, 37, who has been arrested and booked for investigation of murder. He allegedly told authorities Catherine Thompson paid him to kill her husband. Monsue said he could not comment on whether Sanders made such statements.

“He (Sanders) claims it is a ‘murder-for-hire’ type deal,” Kessel said. “But because they have no evidence to prosecute her, they had to let her go.”

Sanders’ attorney, James Blatt of Encino, said his client denies any wrongdoing and has made no statement to police or other officials concerning the slaying.

Members of the Thompson family would not talk to reporters and referred calls to Kessel.

In addition to Thompson, police on Monday arrested Robert L. Jones, 19, of Sylmar, who was booked on suspicion of being an accessory to murder, Monsue said. Jones, a mechanic, was arrested at his job in Sylmar. Jones was released from custody after posting $5,000 bail.

Police believe Jones was the driver of the car in which Thompson’s killer fled.

Sanders was being held without bail at the County Jail, pending arraignment.

Last Thursday, Melvin Thompson was preparing to close his shop when a gunman entered the store, took an undetermined amount of cash and an expensive Rolex watch before shooting Thompson several times, police said.

Thompson had been married to Catherine, who ran the shop’s office, for 10 years and was the father of five children. In an interview with The Times last week, Monsue said police were considering the possibility that Thompson knew his killer.