Allow me to present some thoughts revolving around a hypothetical scenario of a person with a sociopathic personality disorder who comes from a family of significant wealth and status.
The family can afford the highest level of private psychological therapy available, which may have helped to moderate the subject's hostile tendencies - yet cannot halt the inevitable progression towards destructive acts coded into the warped personality.
The parents take a predictable stance which is to remain concerned, protective and hopeful in regards to their now adult age "black sheep" offspring.
They can afford to house the subject nearby and accessible in distance, yet also effectively isolated from contact with normal family activities and normal community interaction, because inclusion always leads to stressful and potentialy violent confrontations and social embarrassment.
The parents stewardship also involves a significant element of protecting the subject from suffering the normal consequences of his own actions, because those punishments cannot deter his pathological tendencies.
Wealth, status and influence tend to go hand-in-hand in most places, Malibu/Callabassas/Los Angeles certainly no exception.
Consider the 1999 incident involving 19 year old Scott Sterling and his 19 yr.old friend Philip Sheid.
Sterling was the the youngest child of billionaire Donald and Shelley Sterling.
Sterling and Scheid had an altercation over their rivalry for the affections of a young actress which led to Sterling injuring Scheid with a shotgun blast as he fled down the driveway of Sterling's Beverly Hill's mansion.
Although police investigators recommended Scott Sterling be charged with attempted murder, no charges whatsoever were ever filed.
Many observers attribute this to his father Donald Sterling's exertion of influence within the local law enforcement, political, and district attorney establishment. In addition, Sterling had the financial means to compensate the injured friend for a very satisfactory, undisclosed sum.
Scott Sterling eventually succumbed to a drug overdose at age 31 in the Malibu beach home his parents had provided for him.
Obviously, wealth can have significant impact to shield or exempt one from normal consequences of criminal conduct. However, that power is not absolute. Scott Sterling injured Scheid with a shotgun, but he did not kill or permanently disable his friend.
Family wealth cannot shield the perpetrator of Mr. Beaudette's murder from an eventual reckoning with the machinery of our criminal justice system. However, if that was the same person responsible for the other shooting incidents under consideration for the MCSP and environs - then wealth and status could have worked to diffuse a potential investigation by the local sheriffs substation. It could have worked to scuttle a misdemeanor arrest or criminal complaint from becoming a written report on the record and instead have it take the form of an off-the-record courtesy "warning".
If that turns out to be an accurate reflection of circumstances preceding the Beaudette shooting, then it introduces layers of complexity on to the task of resolving this crime of murder in MCSP.
Because the situation already includes a community which feels resentful that the Sheriff was negligent in issuing warnings about the safety situation. That level of anger will rise considerably if its revealed that one or more of the prior incidents was given a pass.
But in the case where the perpetrator is a "black sheep" shielded by wealthy family resources, as opposed to someone of average means, the necessity becomes greater than ever to revisit and correct the handling of the prior incidents. And that would probably involve admission by the Sheriff of subpar and unacceptable conduct by personnel at Malibu/Lost Hills Station. It would probably involve reprimand, discipline or firing of at least one or more sheriff personnel.
Ultimately, any failure by a sheriff deputy is a failure by the man at the top of the organization. I make that note so we can examine another layer of complexity draped over this investigation.
Less than 3 weeks prior to the shooting death at MCSP, a primary election was held in California.
The biggest surprise in Los Angeles County was that incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell failed to garner more than 50% of votes in a race against two underfunded and relatively unknown challengers.
Sheriff McDonnell was forced into a November 2018 run-off to hold his position as Sheriff for the next 4 years.
Although Mr. Beaudette's murder is only one of many that will be recorded across the width and breadth of Los Angeles County, the political repercussions for Sheriff McDonnell amplify at logarithmically greater levels than the rest.
Dissatisfaction with Sheriff McDonnell's prior record of leadership is mildest in the wealthier suburban communities such as Malibu and Calabassas.
Confidence in McDonnell's capability has been greatest among highly educated and upper middle class professionals who can identify themselves with the lifestyle of Tristan Beaudette.
Progress in handling this investigation is going to be crucial for Sheriff McDonnell to retain the support of voters from the named demographics. But making that progress may entail an admission of past failures.
While there is relative silence coming out of Sheriff HeadQuarters regarding the MCSP shooting investigation, in my opinion - the activity related to navigating the investigation and its presentation to the public is going on behind closed doors at unprecedented levels.
I only just came on after a few days - so I apologize.
