Camarillo man in jail for murder accused of another killing in LA County

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- A Camarillo man who's currently in custody for a 2022 murder is now being accused of killing another man months before.

Rotherie Durell Foster, 38, was arrested Monday in connection with the death of 74-year-old Bill Dean Levy of Granada Hills.

Foster is already facing charges in the death of Jose Velasquez, a Camarillo man who went missing in July 2022 and was found dead by hikers three months later in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County. Foster and Velasquez worked together as plumbers.

According to authorities, Levy died on Jan. 10, 2022, of what was initially determined to be natural causes. As investigators were working on Velasquez's case, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office noticed "potential financial fraud against Levy by Foster."

"It stood out, just given the nature and the frequency that Mr. Levy's name appeared in those records," said prosecutor Amber Lee. "So it was suspicious, but it wasn't something that was immediately fraud. That took additional work."

With the new evidence, Levy's body was exhumed and an autopsy report determined he had actually died from "intentional fentanyl poisoning," according to authorities.

"Who was Bill Levy and what connection - if any - did he have to Rotherie Foster?" said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko at a news conference on Wednesday. "They learned that Bill Levy had passed away on January 10th, 2022 of natural causes. This was alarming and disturbing because the suspected fraudulent transactions that they saw initiated the day after."

Foster had done some plumbing work for Levy at his townhouse in Granada Hills, according to investigators. Prosecutors allege Foster killed Levy "for financial gain" and stole his identity.

"Foster worked as a plumber for several companies prior to his arrest for the death of Mr. Velasquez," said the Ventura County Sheriff's Department in a press release. "Investigators believe he used his plumbing trade to identify potential targets for his crimes."

"Although Mr. Levy's death was unexpected, officers did not have any information or evidence at the time to suggest he fell victim to foul play," said Venture County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. "Mr. Levy was 72 years of age at the time of his death. Per his neighbor's statements, Mr. Levy was a quiet, but nice man."

Other crimes

In addition to the death of Levy, DA investigators and detectives also identified Foster as the suspect in several other crimes, including another victim of financial fraud from Woodland Hills in December 2021.

He's also accused of an armed robbery that occurred in Fillmore in July 2022. Foster previously spent nearly 20 years in state prison for voluntary manslaughter.

Despite the fact that Levy's murder happened in L.A., the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office granted jurisdiction to prosecute the case in Ventura County. Foster is currently held in the Ventura County Jail without bail.