CA - Malibu Creek State Park Shooting, Tristan Beaudette, 35, 22 June 2018 *Arrest* #2

[avalonisland]

I haven't camped at Malibu Creek, but I have camped at many campgrounds in southern California and this sort of thing isn't uncommon. You can always exit at any time, but getting in via car isn't possible, either because of spikes or a locked gate, after certain hours.

Here's the link to 24/7 being able to Exit campground when entrance gates closed: Camping Malibu Creek State Park in California - 50 Campfires

"Malibu Creek State Park is open from dawn until dusk. The park’s main entrance gate closes at 9 PM each night from October 1 to May 31. The gate closes at 10 PM from June 1 and September 20. The park has a one way exit that is open 24 hours a day and allows campers to leave the park, but it is equipped with spring-loaded tiger teeth so if visitors leave when the gate is closed, they can’t get back in until it reopens."

Each campsite # includes 2 assigned parking spots which still need parking pass "sticker" on car which one gets when arriving. Notice in media videos that #51 has 0 car parked- does not make sense to me unless, IMO, a visitor/guest of #49 & 51 was parked in #51 but drove away prior to LE arriving, as #51 parking not completely yellow taped by LE and empty.

 

[KaaBoom]

You "wouldn't be surprised" because, why?

Trying to understand. A bit of an extreme statement.

Because it's America, and that is what people here do. Just go to any park and look at all the bullet holes in signs, or anything else that can be shot.

 

[KaaBoom]

I've never been to a campground that's impossible to get in and out of at night. That makes no sense to me. Especially with this kind of 'urban camping'. People get ill/burned/?? and have to leave. It's hard to believe they can't get back in again. Maybe it's true though.

I have never been to a campground like that either, but this campground does have tire spikes.

 

[OnYourLeft]

I have never been to a campground like that either, but this campground does have tire spikes.

I have been, however, when once we did have to leave for ER trip due to heat stroke, camp host gave us their cell to call and they let us in.

 

[OnYourLeft]

Hi all, I’ve been following this case closely because I used to be a frequent hiker here.

I feel like these shootings could be related to illegal activity taking place in the area.

This article states that illegal marijuana farming by the cartels has become commonplace in public parklands. This would explain why the shooter(s) been able to get away without being noticed. The article even states that one of these growing operations was found 25 feet behind a Sheriff substation. Some have been found here at the park, too.

Agencies Prepare for Pot Growing Season

Hello and welcome! Yes, ScorpioRising & I posted some additional articles on this theory upthread. They have a huge amount of money to lose if their grow is found. And although the article you linked is from 2014, it does highlight the grow period is from APRIL THROUGH NOVEMBER. This timeframe would fall inline with the shootings we have seen.

 

[OnYourLeft]

Except for the 1/7/2017 shooting - that one’s a bit of an outlier...

 

[Harikari]

Has anyone said what kind of bullet was found? I don't know anything about guns - but wouldn't different kinds of guns have different bullets? And....couldn't they tell where the bullet came from? Wouldn't it enter the body at a different angle?

 

[Harikari]

Hello and welcome! Yes, ScorpioRising & I posted some additional articles on this theory upthread. They have a huge amount of money to lose if their grow is found. And although the article you linked is from 2014, it does highlight the grow period is from APRIL THROUGH NOVEMBER. This timeframe would fall inline with the shootings we have seen.

The news in NorCal is that the cartels left as soon as weed became legal. There's nothing in it for them anymore, because they're not going to form a corporation or ?? and get everything tested. And that's what they would have to do to be able to sell in stores. And the bottom has fallen out of the black market.

 

[Harikari]

Because it's America, and that is what people here do. Just go to any park and look at all the bullet holes in signs, or anything else that can be shot.

If you'd lived in LA you wouldn't be surprised. Yep. ^^^That. Bullet-riddled signs, and stupid people thinking sneaking into a park, and using it as target practice at night is a cool or fun thing to do.

 

[gitana1]

Hi all, I’ve been following this case closely because I used to be a frequent hiker here.

I feel like these shootings could be related to illegal activity taking place in the area.

This article states that illegal marijuana farming by the cartels has become commonplace in public parklands. This would explain why the shooter(s) been able to get away without being noticed. The article even states that one of these growing operations was found 25 feet behind a Sheriff substation. Some have been found here at the park, too.

Agencies Prepare for Pot Growing Season

Welcome to Websleuths!!

I would tend to consider this more if it wasn't for the fact that he wasn't shot while hiking off trip somewhere where he might have stumbled onto something.

He had toddlers with him. They weren't going off trail and they weren't going far, IMO.

He was killed while in his tent at a crowded campsite relatively close to civilization. Not deep in the backwoods.

For this to be a possibility he would've had to have hiked somewhere remote,and gone off trail with two tiny girls, (otherwise all the thousands of other hikers
And biker and park visitors who go to that crowded placez). been spotted while finding a major operation, but would've been allowed to leave the area, followed, stalked by someone who waited in a crowded area until hours after everyone had gone to sleep, and then after hours has gone by, snuck up and shot him and then escaped without detection.

It doesn't make sense to me. If he was shot on a quiet back trail, yeah. I think it would be a good thing to investigate.

 

[Harikari]

I have never been to a campground like that either, but this campground does have tire spikes.

That makes it even More bizarre. If a car driving in bw 10 and 5 had all its tires punctured - I'd think the people in the car would be dealing with that, not driving on to the campsite and then driving back out with flat tires. That would have made them so noticeable when they got to Las Virgenes Road. Soo now I think it's unlikely it was a car coming in. Wow. I was Not expecting to come to that conclusion.

They could have parked by the gate and walked in I guess.

I still don't understand how the cops cannot tell whether the bullet was from far away or very close

 

[OnYourLeft]

Welcome to Websleuths!!

I would tend to consider this more if it wasn't for the fact that he wasn't shot while hiking off trip somewhere where he might have stumbled onto something.

He had toddlers with him. They weren't going off trail and they weren't going far, IMO.

He was killed while in his tent at a crowded campsite relatively close to civilization. Not deep in the backwoods.

For this to be a possibility he would've had to have hiked somewhere remote,and gone off trail with two tiny girls, (otherwise all the thousands of other hikers
And biker and park visitors who go to that crowded placez). been spotted while finding a major operation, but would've been allowed to leave the area, followed, stalked by someone who waited in a crowded area until hours after everyone had gone to sleep, and then after hours has gone by, snuck up and shot him and then escaped without detection.

It doesn't make sense to me. If he was shot on a quiet back trail, yeah. I think it would be a good thing to investigate.

True, true but what I meant by my post of the growing season of April thru November was more like the people manning the marijuana grow coming down to the campground...to use a proper restroom...to take a shower...to relieve boredom...to creepily walk around campsites JMO

 

[OnYourLeft]

The news in NorCal is that the cartels left as soon as weed became legal. There's nothing in it for them anymore, because they're not going to form a corporation or ?? and get everything tested. And that's what they would have to do to be able to sell in stores. And the bottom has fallen out of the black market.

Here is a May 30, 2018 CNN article about illegal cartel activity in our national forests and a Sacramento Bee, June 2, 2018 article about the illegal cartel grows in Yosemite.

“There is a manifest black market in California”, said US Attorney General McGregor Scott. “It is of biblical proportions.”


Illegal marijuana on federal land a growing problem in California - CNN

Illegal pot grows found in Yosemite, forests. Officials crack down, citing 'catastrophic' poisons

 

[passepartout]

True, true but what I meant by my post of the growing season of April thru November was more like the people manning the marijuana grow coming down to the campground...to use a proper restroom...to take a shower...to relieve boredom...to creepily walk around campsites JMO

But if you were involved in illegal activity in the vicinity of the park and were trying to protect your business concerns, why would you wander down to the very public campsite to shoot from close range (20 feet) into a random car camper's vehicle?

Doesn't make much sense, IMO.

 

[sasha17]

Each campsite # includes 2 assigned parking spots which still need parking pass "sticker" on car which one gets when arriving. Notice in media videos that #51 has 0 car parked- does not make sense to me unless, IMO, a visitor/guest of #49 & 51 was parked in #51 but drove away prior to LE arriving, as #51 parking not completely yellow taped by LE and empty.

IMO, this isn't that strange. When I've gone camping with a group of families before, we've all parked at one site and left the parking area of the other sites empty for the kids to have a space to ride their bikes around in, that was off the road. They could have simply kept their two cars together at #49 to give the kids a place to ride bikes and play at #51.

 

[WildcatRunner]

That makes it even More bizarre. If a car driving in bw 10 and 5 had all its tires punctured - I'd think the people in the car would be dealing with that, not driving on to the campsite and then driving back out with flat tires. That would have made them so noticeable when they got to Las Virgenes Road. Soo now I think it's unlikely it was a car coming in. Wow. I was Not expecting to come to that conclusion.

They could have parked by the gate and walked in I guess.

I still don't understand how the cops cannot tell whether the bullet was from far away or very close

The car could have come in before the park closed.

 

[ScorpioRising]

Only the biologist would make sense as a target for the pot grower theory. Unless its just random general violence to keep people away altogether but less likely that they would bother with sleeping campers in the camping area I feel like. The motive would be a good one since a lot of money is involved compared to the theory a lunatic is just shooting to hurt people as a motive. Its sounds like most of the growing activity was further down though.

The fact that the other likely unrelated body was dropped close to the Hindu Temple tells me however that it must be dark and remote enough on the Las virgenes street side of the park to sneak in and out.Man’s Body Found in Drainage Ditch in Calabasas Area

 

[WildcatRunner]

The news in NorCal is that the cartels left as soon as weed became legal. There's nothing in it for them anymore, because they're not going to form a corporation or ?? and get everything tested. And that's what they would have to do to be able to sell in stores. And the bottom has fallen out of the black market.

There is still a black market for it. I don't know what California's tax on marijuana looks like, but in Colorado, the combination of all taxes is about 30%. Plus, I assume the pre-tax amount to buy from a dispensary may be marked up too, given the cost to maintain a store front, and the cost of the licensing etc. Buying from the illegal growers gets the product at a much lower price.

 

[gitana1]

That makes it even More bizarre. If a car driving in bw 10 and 5 had all its tires punctured - I'd think the people in the car would be dealing with that, not driving on to the campsite and then driving back out with flat tires. That would have made them so noticeable when they got to Las Virgenes Road. Soo now I think it's unlikely it was a car coming in. Wow. I was Not expecting to come to that conclusion.

They could have parked by the gate and walked in I guess.

I still don't understand how the cops cannot tell whether the bullet was from far away or very close

Maybe they can tell but just haven't told us?

 

[margarita25]

BBM. After having followed Mitrice Richardson's case, I can totally believe that's what happened.

Such a sad case

(I was not familiar with her case so googled it:

5 years after Mitrice Richardson’s remains were found in Malibu her death still raises questions – Daily News )

Eta: speaking of illegal grow ops, from the above link:

"Eleven months after she disappeared, Richardson’s remains were discovered about seven miles from the station. Park rangers who were patrolling the area to check for illegal marijuana farms found her near a creek bed where few traveled. Deputies arrived and removed the bones, to the dismay of Los Angeles County Coroner’s officials, who were on their way to the scene."

*maybe there is a Scooby-Doo door angle, so eone is trying to scare people from the area...but then that would just attract LE, nevermind.