David G. O'Connell

David Gerard O'Connell (July 16, 1953 – February 18, 2023) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church who was an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California from 2015 until his murder in 2023. He served in the Los Angeles area for the entirety of his career as a priest.

Early life David O'Connell was born in Glanmire, County Cork, Ireland, on July 16, 1953, the son of David and Joan O’Connell.

Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles Pope Francis appointed O'Connell titular bishop of Cell Ausaille and as an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles on July 21, 2015. He was consecrated by Archbishop José Gómez on September 8, 2015. At that time, Gómez named O'Connell his episcopal vicar for the San Gabriel Pastoral Region of the archdiocese.

In March 2023, Gómez presided at the funeral mass for O’Connell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. The service drew thousands of attendees. Monsignor Jarlath Cunnane, a close friend of O'Connell, delivered the homily:“For Dave life was, and especially in the recent years, life was prayer. Life was in the presence of Christ, and that is what he shared. Yes, he helped the poor. Yes, he fought for justice. But most of all, what he wanted to share was that encounter with Jesus Christ,” On February 20, police arrested Carlos Medina at his residence in Torrance, California. Carlos Medina's wife was O'Connell's housekeeper and had performed work on O'Connell's house. According to information received by police, Medina told an associate that O'Connell owed him money.

On February 22, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón reported that Medina had confessed to murdering O'Connell. However, Medina pleaded not guilty to murder in March 2023.