Hollywood severed head case: Internet searches on 'butchering' brought up in testimony

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Internet searches brought up in Hollywood severed head case

A jury heard testimony Friday in the trial of a man accused of dismembering his roommate whose head and other body parts were found near the Hollywood sign in 2012.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A jury heard testimony Friday in the trial of a man accused of dismembering his roommate whose head and other body parts were found near the Hollywood sign in 2012.

In court, the prosecution called Los Angeles Police Detective Kirk Hunter, from the computer crimes unit to the stand. He explained what he found on an Apple laptop seized from the apartment of Gabriel Campos-Martinez. The laptop was shared with Hervey Medellin.

Medellin was last seen on Dec. 26, 2011. The day before, under his log in information, police said they found internet searches that could be related to the case.

"The user had accessed a website called sausagemaker.com, sausage making equipment supplies, meat saws, sausage making, equipment supplies, butchering," Hunter said.

A few weeks after that search, Medellin's head, hands and feet were found near the Hollywood sign. The lead criminalist from the coroner's office testified that it appeared to be a thin blade and a smaller saw were used to sever the body parts.

Hunter said there was also an Internet search for the Church of Euthanasia, a religious group that uses a variety of media to highlight overpopulation.

Within the Church of Euthanasia search, there was a link that was accessed called "butchering the human carcass." The link explained how to butcher a human carcass for human consumption. Defense attorney Rodolfo Navarro asked if Hunter could tell if the article was actually read and Hunter said no.

The defense said there were no online purchases for a sausage maker of Kyocera knives, which also came up in the search history. Medellin and Campos-Martinez opened a joint bank account in early December 2011.

A Wells Fargo manager testified that someone deposited Medellin's social security check three weeks after he went missing and made withdrawals.

The rest of Medellin's body has never been found. Testimony will continue Monday with the detective who interviewed Campos-Martinez to take the stand.