OR OR - David Grubbs, 23, Ashland, 19 Nov 2011

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I just noticed how many of you are new to Websleuths!

:welcome:

I'm so glad you've joined. :grouphug:
 
I searched the local paper for more about Michael Mollo and the police have been familiar with this guy at least since 2005.

The house he ran into in the recent August pruning shears incident is a house that is notorious in the neighborhood (I work in this neighborhood) for being a major drug dealing hub.

The whole nexus here of drugs, mental illness and a kind of transient alternative life-style that has taken hold in this town should be a wake-up call to those here who look at it as political cause for personal expression. Some even suggest the city should provide a permanent camp for these folks. Get a clue! I wonder what it will take for reason to finally prevail... if not something like this terrible murder, then what?
 
I bet the people who wouldn't let the police into their house on Fifth in Ashland in August to catch Mollo are feeling some qualms about that decision, even though there may well have been things in the house they didn't want the police to see.
 
@ Caramel sounds like the same man and the dates and age check out, interesting
 
Wow, Caramel... that may be just some brilliant sleuthing. Same name, same home town, right age. I thinking you may be on to something. This story gets weirder and weirder.

There was a very touching story in the local paper today of David Grubbs' mom and his sister and some of his friends all getting a tattoo like one he had. :"(
 
Yes, Caramel, here is a tidbit from a 2005 article that supports it being the same Michael Mollo in the article about the theater piece in Fullerton in 1994:
Lewis said her boyfriend left the hospital with nothing but the clothes on his back. Michael Mollo is a guitar player and singer who has been involved with music since he was a child, his mother said. He has also directed plays and writing a book about his life when he vanished.
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http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/BIZ/308099995&cid=sitesearch
 
http://m.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs...3/NEWS02/112030307/-1/NEWSMAP&template=wapart

More about forensic anthropologist Symes arriving Tuesday

"Normally I don't go to the homicide, they bring the homicide to me," Symes said in a telephone interview. "In this case, I'd rather do the work myself."

Symes said he couldn't give an estimated timeline for when he will complete the examination.

"It looks like there is enough sharp trauma there, that we could see a positive ID," he said, referring to what weapon was used.

He said the examination may also reveal the positioning of Grubbs and his attacker during the incident.
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I had a heard a rumor almost a week ago that the APD had him identified as a suspect in this case. I have been searching his name a bit and also found some articles that involve a man by the same name in theatre presentations in Fullerton where they used swords. I hope they get substantial evidence and are able to get this solved. My heart goes out to the family and friends of David.
 
I am not sure, but I think Michael Mollo is actually from Klamath Falls, Oregon rather than Fullerton. I think he graduated from Klamath Falls high School. Perhaps he went to college in Fullerton?
 
As far as I can tell, there are two musical "Michael Mollo"s with southern California ties -- the one in question (middle initial, I think "D") who grew up in Klamath Falls, graduated from Cal State Fullerton, spent a year in San Francisco in the early 90s, returned to Fullerton and was - possibly - half of a popular local musical duo for a while, wrote and directed the (panned by critic(s))Prometheus play at Revolving Door Theatre, and returned to Oregon (and Northern California) in the late 90s. He has been involved with the woman listed in the news stories for at least six or seven years. And he does seem to have a thing for bladed weapons, but -- and this is one of those coincidences that probably don't mean anything -- a statistically surprising lot of people named "Mollo" seem to be sword hobbyists or sword scholars. I Googled: Mollo sword, and got lots of returns, including the seeming leading expert on early 20th century Russian swords, and videos of teenagers named Mollo attacking watermelons with katanas. I've looked at Michael Mollo of Klamath Falls/Fullerton/San Francisco/Ashland/Yreka's family tree back five generations, and none of his relatives seem to be the other sword enthusiasts. So, there, for whatever it's worth, is that.

The other Michael Mollo (middle initial "J") is totally not our guy. He grew up in Pennsylvania, attended USC, and composes music for children's movies and is, I repeat, totally not the guy.
 
The local paper today describes the sword they collected when they arrested Mollo in Yreka as "decorative" -- meaning not sharp, not a real weapon.

The woman formerly referred to as his girlfriend, is now being referred to only as someone he as known for a long time. She was quoted in the article today as saying "he could never do something this horrific", and says that he was in Yreka at the time David Grubbs was murdered.

http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111203/NEWS02/112030306

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I certainly don't want the wrong guy to be saddled with this, but it would be such a relief to think the person who did it is off the streets.
 
Just a thought about swords...

I have always thought it is more likely this was a machete. Most swords that people have are merely decorative. I have an adult kid myself who has several decorative swords. They are popular with boys, especially those that like fantasy stories -- Tolkien, King Arthur stories, ninja and pirate themed graphic novels.

So, I know lots of people have decorative swords, and they even like to swing them around in the air at fantasy enemies. These are the kids in Lithia park with insulation foam and duct tape over PVC pipe play-battling with their "boffers" -- this is a very benign group of boys who are not rushing into what looks to them like bland maturity. Peter Pan kids having fun.

However someone who is mentally ill and likes swinging swords around could very easily come by a machete. It's semi-rural here and people have them laying around in garden sheds and tool chests all the time. They can be very sharp and are easily sharpened. A mentally ill person who likes swinging swords around and hears voices telling him to kill somebody (or whatever drives a schizophrenic to violence -- which is NOT to say all schizophrenics are violent) could easily get their hands on such a weapon. Like little boys playing shoot-em-up for whom a bent stick of a certain shape becomes a gun -- this seems like an easy thing to have happened.
 
Caramel said:
As far as I can tell, there are two musical "Michael Mollo"s with southern California ties -- the one in question (middle initial, I think "D") who grew up in Klamath Falls, graduated from Cal State Fullerton, spent a year in San Francisco in the early 90s, returned to Fullerton and was - possibly - half of a popular local musical duo for a while, wrote and directed the (panned by critic(s))Prometheus play at Revolving Door Theatre, and returned to Oregon (and Northern California) in the late 90s. He has been involved with the woman listed in the news stories for at least six or seven years. And he does seem to have a thing for bladed weapons, but -- and this is one of those coincidences that probably don't mean anything -- a statistically surprising lot of people named "Mollo" seem to be sword hobbyists or sword scholars. I Googled: Mollo sword, and got lots of returns, including the seeming leading expert on early 20th century Russian swords, and videos of teenagers named Mollo attacking watermelons with katanas. I've looked at Michael Mollo of Klamath Falls/Fullerton/San Francisco/Ashland/Yreka's family tree back five generations, and none of his relatives seem to be the other sword enthusiasts. So, there, for whatever it's worth, is that.

The other Michael Mollo (middle initial "J") is totally not our guy. He grew up in Pennsylvania, attended USC, and composes music for children's movies and is, I repeat, totally not the guy.
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the family tree i found has him as Michael Louis Mollo and i have cross referenced this with his Mother's name from the letter to the people of Ashland in 2005.
 
Then, by "I think "D"," I suppose I meant "L". Same genealogy. I just wasn't sure I recalled the initial correctly. Apparently my lack of confidence was justified.
 
http://www.heraldandnews.com/law_en...550-71ff6d9f6726.html#vmix_media_id=122642071

June 25, 2005 Klamath Falls Herald News Court report.
Michael Louis Mollo, 37, third-degree theft, guilty plea, 30 days in jail. Another count of third-degree robbery that accused him kicking and hitting Christian Utley while stealing a lighter on Dec. 27 was dismissed.
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http://www.heraldandnews.com/law_en...66d-37d0d75342ef.html#vmix_media_id=122642071

Published December 28, 2004

Michael Louis Mollo, 36, 2957 Eberlein Ave., third-degree robbery; held in lieu of $10,000 bail.
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