Motive for Slaying of 2 in Torrance Unknown

There were more questions than answers Tuesday about what happened to two slain men discovered the night before by the girlfriend of one of the victims in a Torrance office building near City Hall.

Police had no motive in the shooting deaths of Michael Joseph Gheen, 33, of Perris, and Ian Campbell, 33. According to Torrance Police Lt. Ed LaLonde, the victims were found in separate rooms of what appeared to be a bail bonds office, according to a parking sign outside the single-story structure. The company did not appear to be licensed and was not open for business, police said.

“It appears at this point that the murder occurred at the scene,” LaLonde said. But there was also no sign of gunfire inside, given the lack of holes in the walls or broken glass, he added. “It’s baffling in the sense that there’s two deceased persons and no suspects, although we have some leads.”

They also did not identify Campbell’s girlfriend, who last spoke to him Sunday when he told her he would see her in two hours. When Campbell failed to turn up by the next evening, his girlfriend, who uses a wheelchair, asked friends to drive her to several places she thought he might be, including the Torrance office, LaLonde said.

She discovered the bodies about 7:45 p.m. Monday.

LaLonde said police had ruled out that Gheen and Campbell shot each other. No weapons were recovered, he said, adding that the office also showed no signs of forcible entry.

Gheen’s wife, Shirley, told reporters Tuesday that she did not know why her husband was in Torrance or would have needed bail, as he was already on probation. Court records show that Michael Joseph Gheen, who also went by the name of Gerald Dryer, had pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine 20 months ago in an El Cajon court.

His wife had filed domestic violence-related charges against him on March 13, ordering him removed from the couple’s Perris home. The case remains open after no one showed up for a March 14 hearing, a Riverside Superior Court employee said Tuesday.

Police officers also discovered several pets inside the office. A white pit bull was removed by animal control officers Monday night, while officers on Tuesday afternoon carried out a large, covered bird cage containing two or three birds.