The Murder of Omar Medina
For this case, I watched an episode of See No Evil. It’s season 12 episode 4, titled ‘Body in a Barrel.’
A young talented musician is reported missing by his family.
Background
Omar Medina was only 28 years old at the time of his death. He had grown up with his two siblings in a single-parent household. He was especially close with his older sister, Alicia.
Alicia described Omar as quiet, smart, and very observant. She said he was a talented musician and a great uncle to her children. Omar had dreams of having his own family one day. Tragically, his life was cut short after he moved out of his home.
Omar Medina
The Disappearance
Alicia contacted the Chula Vista Police Department after she had not heard from Omar in 2 days. They had last seen him when he paid his mother a visit at her home.
Alicia said that Omar was anxious that day. She also noticed that he had all his belongings in his white Cadillac. Omar explained that his living situation wasn’t working and he was looking for a new place to stay. Alicia told him to stay with their mother. They had some family in town at the time, but Omar said he would be back once they left. This was the last time anyone saw or heard from him.
After filing a missing persons report, Alicia began an investigation of her own. She tried to look at his phone records but she couldn’t see any of Omar’s incoming calls. She and her friends also handed out missing persons flyers.
The Abandoned Car
Alicia received a phone call on the same day that she had filed the missing persons’ report that Omar’s car had been located.
Omar’s white Cadillac was found only a few blocks from the home that he had just moved out of. The car was found unlocked and his items were still in the car. Some of these items included Omar’s laptop and guitar.
When the police arrived, they asked Alicia about Omar’s living situation. Alicia didn’t know many details or why he had moved out.
The police went to the house and met Omar’s landlord, Timothy Cook, who had been living in the main house.
Timothy told the police that he hadn’t seen Omar in about a week. The police asked Timothy if they could enter the house to look at Omar’s room. Omar had lived in a separate house, referred to as a granny suite, on the property.
In the granny suite, there was debris and water on the ground. The carpet had been ripped out and a window had been broken. Timothy explained that he was turning it into a game room.
The police obtained surveillance footage from a gas station on the same block where Omar had lived.
Around 4 pm on the day he was last seen, Omar’s car could be seen passing the gas station. It was then located later that day when Alicia received the phone call. The police could not see who had been driving the car.
A Chilling Discovery
On October 12, 12 days after Omar disappeared, the police received a phone call about a 55-gallon drum floating in the San Diego Bay. Several cables and cinder blocks were used to weigh the barrel down.
Inside the barrel, the police could see a brown blanket and a human hand. The police were shocked and said this person was “thrown out like trash.”
The autopsy was done the day after the barrel was recovered. The medical examiner couldn’t tell how long the victim had been in the water. The cause of death was stabbing. The victim had been stabbed about 66 times.
There was no ID with the victim but there were several tattoos on the body. There was a distinct tattoo on the ankle, which Omar’s family confirmed that he had.
Omar’s family was heartbroken.
The Manhunt
After Omar was identified, the police went back to San Diego Bay to obtain the surveillance footage from the marina.
On October 11, the day before Omar’s body was found, a green Ford F-150 truck pulling a smaller fishing boat was spotted pulling into the marina. The boat was unusual because it was often used in freshwater like a lake.
There were two people involved, believed to both be male. One of the males was seen backing the truck into the water. The other male was seen driving the boat into the water and returning less than an hour later. When the boat returned, the police could tell that they had dumped something heavy. The boat had been low in the water going out and higher in the water when it returned.
The police still couldn’t read the license plate numbers from the truck or boat but they identified the make and model of the green truck. The police were also able to identify the make and model of the boat and contact the DMV for all registered owners.
The Landlord
The police circled back to Timothy Cook, the landlord. The police set up a surveillance team to watch Timothy. They saw him pressure washing his driveway, packing up items in garbage bags, and putting them in his vehicle.
The police followed Timothy and performed a traffic stop. There were wet rags and clothing inside the bags. There was also a strong odor of bleach. Timothy’s car was seized and brought in for evidence.
As the police were searching for the 2nd man involved, they learned that Timothy’s brother had a storage facility.
The green truck that had been seen at the marina was located at the storage facility. The truck was brought to the police station.
Inside the truck, a Home Depot receipt was found. There was also a coffee mug with a photograph on it. It was not a match to Timothy’s brother.
The Home Depot receipt was dated October 10, 2017, around 4 pm. There was a fingerprint found on the receipt. The man from the photograph on the mug was a match to the fingerprint. He was identified as Derrick Spuergon. He lived about 30 minutes away from Chula Vista.
The boat used was registered to the woman that Derrick had been dating at the time. The boat was seized. Various seating areas in the boat had been unscrewed and removed. The carpeting was also removed. The police found matching cinder blocks on the property.
The Evidence
The police didn’t have enough evidence to make any arrests.
The police obtained the surveillance footage from Home Depot. The surveillance footage was more clear than the marina footage. They could identify Timothy Cook. He purchased cleaning supplies, a broom, and several brushes.
Timothy was still not arrested, but a search warrant was obtained for his home. The room that Omar had once stayed in looked different from when the police last searched it. It had been power washed and cleaned with bleach. Sadly, a forensics team was unable to find any blood.
A sink inside the main house had been ripped out.
Timothy’s Google account was searched. Timothy had several photos of Omar’s bank information. He had also deposited money from Omar’s account into his own.
The police obtained surveillance footage from a gas station near Derrick’s home about 2 hours before they arrived at the marina.
The green truck and boat were seen pulling into the gas station. The barrel could be seen in the back of the boat.
Derrick Spuergon was identified as the passenger. He got out of the car and filled the boat with gas.
Timothy Cook was seen walking into the gas station and purchasing several items at the register. Timothy was wearing shorts. He had a distinct tattoo on his calf, which helped identify him.
Timothy Cook and Derrick Spuergon were both arrested.
The Convictions and Motive
Evidence kept piling up for both Derrick and Timothy. Their cell phones had connected to towers near the marina.
Timothy Cook was convicted of 2nd-degree murder. He was sentenced to 45 years to life. The prosecution couldn’t prove that it was premeditated.
Derrick Spuergon eventually pled guilty to disposing of a body. He was sentenced to 6 months.
It’s believed Omar was killed over his finances. Based on the evidence, Timothy killed Omar in the room that he once lived in. Timothy then went to great lengths to clean up the scene and dispose of Omar.
Timothy had been begging his family for money around the same time that he killed Omar.
Timothy Cook
Other
After Derrick Spuergon pled guilty, Alicia said that she and her family felt like they had gotten closure and were relieved.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was shocked at how low of a sentence Derrick got. I understand that he didn’t murder him, but 6 months? It’s a blow to Omar and his family, but at least they have answers. Timothy is a monster. He somehow dragged one of his loser friends into helping him dispose of a person. Timothy deserves life in prison if you ask me, but I understand that it couldn’t be proven that he planned to kill Omar. He probably did it in the heat of the moment because he was so desperate for money.
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