Suspect in Hollywood triple murder was convicted of murder before. He also ran for Congress
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- Compton native Patrick Kevin Spurlock, 57, was arrested last week and charged with murder in the shooting deaths of Jeremiah Badeker, Jack Cartegena and Michael Bogacz in Hollywood in July.
- Spurlock served 17 years previously for fatally shooting 43-year-old DeWayne Williams in 2003 in Cowlitz County, Washington.
Los Angeles police announced the arrest Wednesday of a man previously convicted of second-degree murder on suspicion of killing three people in an early morning altercation in Hollywood last month.
Compton native Patrick Kevin Spurlock, 57, was arrested in the 6600 block of Franklin Avenue, less than a quarter-mile from the site of the slayings in the 1900 block of Wilcox Avenue on July 24. The arrest occurred Aug. 13, according to inmate and court records.
Spurlock, who once ran for a congressional seat in Washington state, is being held at L.A. County’s Inmate Reception Center. He was denied bail and awaits his next court appearance on Aug. 31.
Spurlock was charged by the L.A. County’s district attorney’s office with three counts of murder with special allegations stemming from multiple murders, murder with a prior murder conviction, and personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury.
Police in Hollywood are investigating the deaths of three people found shot inside an apartment Tuesday night.
A call and email to Spurlock’s attorney was not immediately returned.
Spurlock is accused of killing Los Angeles residents Jeremiah Badeker, Jack Cartegena and Michael Bogacz.
The foursome had gathered in an apartment on Wilcox Avenue early on July 24 when an argument broke out, according to police. Spurlock pulled out a gun and ordered the three other men to the ground before shooting them “numerous times,” according to police.
Police discovered the bodies on July 28 after being called for a wellness check that evening.
Gene Atkins had previously been convicted on dozens of assault, attempted murder and hostage-taking charges related to a wild cross-city 2018 crime rampage, but was acquitted of first-degree murder during his first trial.
This month’s arrest was not the first for Spurlock.
He was arrested in 2003 after shooting 43-year-old DeWayne Williams after an argument in Cowlitz County, Washington. Spurlock robbed the home where he shot and killed Williams, eventually tying up a homeowner and girlfriend there, authorities said.
He left the state for California, where he was arrested and extradited back to Washington.
Spurlock entered a Newton plea, agreeing to guilt but disagreeing with certain elements of the case, and served 17 years starting in 2005.
He was released in 2022 and ran for office that year, losing as an independent in a bid for the House of Representatives. He gathered 2.1% of the vote in a primary defeat.
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