Timothy Joseph McGhee

Timothy Joseph McGhee (born April 27, 1973) is an American convicted serial killer and Toonerville Rifa 13 gang leader from the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. He is alleged to be responsible for at least 12 homicides between 1997 and 2001, three of which led to convictions. McGhee is also suspected of at least ten attempted murders, four of which led to convictions. In 2018, the Los Angeles Times named McGhee one of the top 20 most notorious killers in the history of California, a list that included the likes of Charles Manson, the Golden State Killer, and the Night Stalker.

After his arrest for assaulting a law enforcement officer, McGhee spent 1994 to 2000 either incarcerated or on parole. During his stints as a parolee, he allegedly shot seven people, killing three, and attempted to murder two LAPD officers. He was arrested in 2003 on homicide charges and sentenced to death in 2009. In a separate trial in 2007, McGhee was sentenced to 75 years to life for leading a 2005 prison riot. California Governor Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on executions in the state of California in 2019, so McGhee was transferred from San Quentin's death row to the general population in Salinas Valley State Prison. McGhee is now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, but current California law allows for his execution if the moratorium is ever lifted. In 2025, McGhee's murder convictions and death penalty sentences were overturned by the California Supreme Court on grounds that a juror was improperly dismissed during deliberations.

Personal life McGhee was raised in the neighborhood of Atwater Village, a lower middle class area of Los Angeles just north of downtown Los Angeles along Interstate 5 adjacent to Glendale, California. His father was a White American of Scottish ancestry, while his mother was Mexican American.

McGhee's early criminal history McGhee's earliest recorded act of violence was a 1989 assault with a firearm when, at the age of 16, he pointed a shotgun at a guard while detained at a juvenile custody facility.

Murder of Ronnie Martin On October 14, 1997, while on parole, it was alleged that a 24-year-old McGhee committed his first homicide. Ronnie Martin (23) was a member of Frog Town, one of TVR's biggest rivals in Atwater Village. Martin was shot 28 times and pronounced dead at the scene. McGhee was not linked to this homicide until years later. After an unrelated charge violated his parole, McGhee was sent back to prison in late 1997.

Kurupt's producer, Delmar "Daz Dillinger" Arnaud, also with Death Row Records and cousin of legendary rapper Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus was present but uninjured. Death Row artist Jevon "Tha Realest" Jones was wounded in the foot, and Willard "Act Da Fool" Givers was wounded in the calf. It was initially suggested that a hidden track on the album that insulted rappers DMX (rapper), The Firm (hip hop group) and others could be a motive for the shooting.

Murder of Ryan Gonzalez On June 3, 2000, rival gang member Ryan Gonzalez (16) was killed as he walked home from a party. He was fatally shot in the 3300 block of Silver Lake Boulevard in Toonerville gang territory near Atwater Avenue Elementary School. A 27-year-old McGhee was the alleged assailant. Gonzalez was a member of The Rascals gang, sharing McGhee's nickname Huero. Investigators believe McGhee's motive was simply that the neighborhood wasn't big enough for two people with the same street name.

Ambush of LAPD officers On July 4, 2000, LAPD officers Thomas Baker and Carlos Langarica were on patrol when they received a call around 3:30 AM that three males had stolen a wallet and fled the scene of the robbery in a gray Honda. Upon encountering the vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, the officers made a U-turn and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver refused to stop and accelerated, both officers noting they were headed into the heart of Toonerville gang territory in Atwater Village. Baker and Langarica later stated that the area was known as an "ambush area", where gang members would block streets with debris and open fire on police vehicles that drove through.

During this pursuit, a 27-year-old McGhee was allegedly using a police radio scanner to track the progress of the chase while coordinating an ambush. The officers reported dodging multiple pieces of debris, including a washing machine blocking the road and a bicycle being pushed into their path by persons unknown. After the officers made a right turn at the corner of Bemis Street and Brunswick Avenue, two gang members opened fire on the officers striking the driver's side door. The gray vehicle was eventually disabled by the officers ramming the rear, at which time the front seat passenger fled on foot while pointing a semi-automatic pistol at officers. When Officer Baker rammed the vehicle again, the remaining two passengers opened fire and both parties exchanged gunfire. All three suspects were apprehended by backup LAPD officers and charged with attempted murder. Mario "Little Boy" Aleman, Ramon "Chubbs" Maldonado, and Joseph "Little Respect" Aghazadeh were sentenced to two consecutive life terms. The two gang members who fired on police during the attempted ambush were never identified, although one of whom was suspected to be McGhee. Neither officer sustained injury, and both officers were awarded the LAPD Medal of Valor in 2003 for their bravery.

Murders of Marty Gregory Roybal and David Lamont Martin On September 14, 2000, John Marshall High School student Marty Gregory Roybal (17) was fatally shot while spray painting in Toonerville territory near the Red Car River Park in Atwater Village. A family member and responding officers mentioned that Roybal enjoyed "tagging" or spray painting. David Lamont Martin (33), who was homeless and likely a witness to the shooting, was also shot and killed at the scene. Twenty-seven-year-old McGhee was suspected in both shootings.

Murder of Manuel Apodaca McGhee had been incarcerated for yet another parole violation involving narcotics, this time at the California Institution for Men in Chino, California, but was released in May 2001. Beginning in June, he was suspected of shooting nine individuals in five months leaving six dead and three wounded. The homicidal spree began on June 11, 2001, when McGhee was allegedly traveling through the affluent Los Feliz area that borders Atwater Village and features the popular Griffith Observatory. Manuel Apodaca Jr. (21) lived 35 miles east in Pomona and was passing through with his pregnant girlfriend, Nina Guerrero. McGhee allegedly opened fire on their vehicle on Los Feliz Boulevard near Interstate 5 known in that area as the Golden State Freeway. Apodaca, allegedly a member of The Rascals (gang), was killed, and Guerrero suffered severe brain damage, but their unborn baby was delivered successfully. Wisotsky was murdered, along with two other witnesses to the crime: Cheri's mother, Mary Ann Wisotsky (64) and friend and neighbor Bryham Robinson (38). McGhee is the alleged triggerman in the triple homicide.

McGhee wrote hip hop lyrics as a hobby but never seriously pursued music. Many of his lyrics referred to his love of killing and his hatred of the police. His writings detailed the Mendoza murder as well as other previous homicides. One line eventually used against him in court read, "Witness protection won’t work/ Realize your rat ain’t going to make it to the stand," referring to his goal to eliminate anyone who might testify against him. He took the time to write, "everything in this book is a work of fiction," inside his spiral notebook in case police ever seized it. This did not deter the prosecution in his eventual trial. McGhee was placed on the US Marshall's 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list on September 25, 2002, wanted for questioning in an additional 11 homicides. At this point, McGhee had been officially charged only with the Mendoza murder by the Los Angeles district attorney's office. In contrast, U.S. marshals had charged him with the federal offense of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution under warrant number W663293984.

Despite such a record of violence, McGhee had received surprisingly little attention from the national media before this point, with barely any coverage in Southern California. In 2002, there were only 11 individuals alive in the United States who had committed more than 12 homicides. As Los Angeles Times reporter Jack Leonard put it many years later, "even in a city with more than 150 gang slayings a year, Timothy Joseph McGhee's murders stood out." A break in the case came when a reader of the Mojave Desert News recognized 29-year-old McGhee from a photo in the paper as a man who was living in Bullhead City, Arizona. McGhee's father happened to own a business there, making the lead credible.

Prison riot While awaiting trial, McGhee was held without bail in the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail, the largest single jail facility in the world just minutes south of Atwater Village. Being the charismatic leader that he was, he commanded the respect of equally intimidating criminals housed in cell block 3300 A-Row, the highest security area of the facility. McGhee was the shot caller, and fellow inmates would not act without his permission. He claimed to have been verbally and physically assaulted by deputies during his time in jail, even reporting one incident to the ACLU.

On January 7, 2005, at roughly 4:40 PM, inmate Rudolfo Gonzalez, intoxicated from a homemade alcoholic concoction, was to be removed from cell block A. Sheriff Deputy Raul Ibarra handcuffed Gonzalez and extracted him from his cell under the ruse of meeting with his attorney. Obediently, Gonzalez attempted to return to his cell, fearing something was amiss as he did not have an attorney. Upon changing direction, Gonzalez was tackled by four deputies. They passed McGhee's cell who stated that Gonzalez, an acquaintance of his since elementary school, did not have his permission to leave.

This incited McGhee's rage and he commanded inmates to assault the deputies with apples, oranges, urine, and bleach. It took 20 minutes to remove Gonzalez from the cell block successfully. McGhee then ordered inmates to break the sinks in their cells so jagged pieces of porcelain could be used as weapons. It was hours later, nearly 10:00 PM that evening when two deputies began their shifts and investigated the damage in A-Row. They were assaulted with books, fruit, porcelain, and various items as they entered. Inmates set multiple fires, and a riot squad was assembled to quash the rebellion. By 2:00 AM the following morning, all inmates had been removed from A-Row, most voluntarily surrendering but McGhee dragged out by force.

Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry presided over the case. Perry has overseen several high-profile cases in Los Angeles, sentencing arsonist John Leonard Orr to life in prison in 1998 and dismissing drug conspiracy charges against Howard K. Stern in 2011 regarding the death of model Anna Nicole Smith.

In court, police and prosecutors described McGhee as a thrill killer, among the most feared gang members in Los Angeles. A chilling portrayal of the life of a gang member was presented with testimony of cold-blooded murder casually implemented to protect the organization's lucrative illegal drug business. Deputy District Attorney Hoon Chun stated that, unlike most gang members who kill for revenge, McGhee seemed to kill for sport, much like a serial killer. Evidence was presented that McGhee taunted at least one of his victims, saying, "Die like a man." before firing the fatal shot into his skull. While prosecutors detailed the horrific crimes, McGhee was amused. He frequently flashed a broad smile at spectators in the courtroom. He compared himself to fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger from the motion picture series A Nightmare on Elm Street and outlaw Jesse James. He was also found guilty in the attempted murder of four other individuals including the two LAPD officers whose ambush he organized, and Duane Natividad and Erica Rhee who were shot in Atwater Village.

McGhee was acquitted of the attempted murders of Pedro Sanchez and Juan Cardiel, Perry stated that McGhee treated killing as "some kind of perverse sport, as if he was hunting human game." He continued "(McGhee) is a committed killer and an obvious danger to society."