Man Pleads Innocent to Killing Wife, 2 Others

A Lake Los Angeles man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he shot his wife and two family members with a rifle in a rampage sparked by arguments over financial problems and his unemployment.

Oliver L. Vann, 43, remained in custody without bail after his arraignment on three murder counts by Antelope Municipal Judge Ian R. Grant. Because the charges contain a special circumstance of multiple murders, Vann could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted.

Deputies responding to an assault call Friday night found the wife, Marie A. Vann, 52; her son, Ronald T. Johnson, 30, and his wife, Muriel T. Johnson, 40, dead at the family’s house. California Highway Patrol officers arrested Vann early Saturday after he was involved in a traffic accident on Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County.

According to court records, the family members had been arguing over finances the night of the shooting. Vann, who had been unemployed but recently found another job, was overheard saying after his arrest: “They just keep ragging on me. A man can only take so much, then he loses it.”