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In This Issue...
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Governor's Office Offers $50,000 Reward for Info Leading to Arrest and Prosecution in Morales Murder Case
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Governor's Office Offers $50,000 Reward for Info Leading to Arrest and Prosecution in Morales Murder Case
By Capitola Police Chief Rick Ehle
Several months ago I had the pleasure of reporting on important developments in the Peter Martin Mitchell "cold case" murder investigation. For years the police department has been periodically resurrecting the case and re-submitting fingerprints and evidence for analysis, in the hopes that a match or new lead would be developed.
Last May, annuitant detective George Turegano reopened the case and analyzed all of the evidence in this matter.
In August 2008, a decision was made by Turegano to re-submit certain evidence items for analysis to include latent prints from the crime scene.
In November, 2008 two positive matches were made via the National Automated Latent Fingerprint System by Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office Latent Print Examiner Lauren Zepho.
The prints belonged to a drifter by the name of Edward Burton Fall, who at the time was known to be in Capitola, and clearly matched the suspect description and composite drawing that was created in 1972 by police artists from witness accounts and descriptions of the suspect. Fall had been seen leaving the scene of the crime.
Unfortunately, it appears that the suspect's fingerprints were not placed into the Automated Latent Print System (ALPS) until recently. Therefore, previous fingerprint comparison requests had met with negative results.
As the police department and detective George Turegano await closure of the Mitchell case by the district attorney's office, detective Turegano was asked to shift his attention to the other unsolved murder case in Capitola — the Morales murder case.
The Morales Case
After a careful analysis of the facts and evidence in the Morales case, Detective Turegano asked me to submit a formal request to the Governor's Office, asking for a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the suspect or suspects in this matter.
On July 6, I submitted a formal request to Governor Schwarzenegger's office, via Janielle Jenkins, the Governor's extradition and reward specialist.
On Aug. 11, the police department received the much-awaited news that our request was favorably considered and the governor's office informed us that a press release would be issued later in the day.
The governor's office reward is for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the criminals involved in this cowardly attack and murder of Joseph Morales. Here's a brief summary of what happened that day.
On Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2003 at approximately 11 p.m. a murder was committed at 3045 Capitola Road, Apartment 3 in Capitola, California.
Three unknown males believed to be teenagers at the time of the murder went to the door of the apartment where the victim's parents lived. A witness standing across the street from the murder scene saw three young men walking from an adjoining street to the front door of the victim's residence.
One of the suspects knocked on the door, while the other two hid in the bushes. The victim answered the door and was asked by the suspect if "Brian" was there.
As the 19-year-old, Joseph Morales, stood in the door of the apartment, one of the other suspect's sprang from the darkness and ran into the apartment, shooting the victim "point-blank" six times using a revolver.
This heinous act was committed in the presence of the victim's parents who were talking in the kitchen, while their seven-year-old daughter slept in a nearby bedroom. The three unknown suspects fled on foot, possibly to an awaiting vehicle a few blocks from the crime scene.
The Morales Investigation
During the resulting murder investigation Capitola Police detectives have developed numerous leads and names of persons associated with this murder.
It is believed the victim was acquainted with the person knocking at the door and may have had previous confrontations with one or more of the three possible suspects.
As I stated in my letter to the governor's office, I believed this unsolved crime qualified for the reward program in that Penal Code section 1547(a). The offense of murder is currently punishable by death. It is my hope a reward will facilitate information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of this crime.
The brutality and callousness of this crime, the total disregard for human life on the part of the suspects, coupled with the fear or inability of potential informants to come forward for fear of reprisal and, or death at the hands of these individuals, has hindered the successful completion of this investigation.
When this case was reopened in early 2008, Detective Turegano contacted the victim's parents to inform them we had reopened the investigation. At that time and again on July 3, when the parents were contacted by telephone, they expressed complete support of our efforts on behalf of their son and the reward request to the governor's office.
Initially this murder received noteworthy local and out-of-county media attention in the weeks following the homicide in October 2003.
We Need Your Help
Most recently on the fifth year anniversary of the murder, in October 2008, the case again generated media attention, noting the events of the crime and the fact that the case remains unsolved.
The media's attention in 2008 generated a "tip" through our confidential tip-line, which was followed up on by detectives, but insufficient new information and evidence was provided and criminal charges could not be filed.
It is our sincere desire that the $50,000 reward offered by the governor's office, coupled with the community's desire to have this heinous crime solved and the perpetrators behind bars, will result in additional interest and new evidence in the case. Anyone having information concerning this case should contact the Capitola Police Department's Tip Line at 831-475-2791, or contact Detectives Marquis Booth at 831-475-4242, extension 350 or Detective Jason Grogan at 831-475-4242, extension 211.
As always, I can be reached by telephone at 831-475-4242, extension 213, or by e-mail at: rehle@ci.capitola.ca.us.
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