[LSDailyNews] Los Santos man wanted for four serial-killings in LS County. $50k bounty, DA offers

[Los Santos Daily News]

NEWS • Crime

Written by Yunisa DELGADO-FLORES • June 15th, 2022 — 3:58AM • Updated June 15th, 2022 — 12:30pm

Los Santos man wanted for four serial-killings in LS County. $50k bounty, DA offers

 

During an LSPD press conference late in June the 14th, detectives from the LSPD and Deputy DA's from Los Santos County's District Attorney's Office announced an arrest warrant against Elijah Mandela, a 25 year old San Andreas resident, for the murder of four women.

 

Elijah Mandela, wanted for 4 counts of murder and 2 counts of attempted murder - Courtesy of the Los Santos Police Department.

 

 

Elijah Mandela, a 25-year-old male living within San Andreas, has been suspected of murdering a total of four women over the past year. There’s an active warrant out for his arrest, and the District Attorney’s Office is offering a $50,000 bounty for information leading to his arrest.

 

“To convict an individual in the United States a prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that an individual is guilty, which is not an easy task, especially for cases such as murders.” said Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li at a press conference held in Vespucci’s Police Station on June the 14th; started at 10:00pm.

 

“Our system was made that way so no innocent ends up in prison for a crime he did not commit.

 

“Recently, an arrest warrant was approved for the suspect that maybe behind all the alleged murders. The District Attorney's Office will remain transparent with the people, and will be revealing the suspect's name. Elijah Mandela is Hispanic twenty-five-year-old man living within the state of San Andreas, and we have enough evidence that we believe we can prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he is in fact [the owner of the blog].”

 

Jennifer Li mentioned the name of the blog, dubbing it as a moniker for Elijah. The Daily News has removed the name of the blog from the article due to the graphic nature of the blog’s content as well as the desire to not nickname the killer.

 

Soon after saying their name, Jennifer Li lifted up a photograph of Elijah Mandela to those in the room; his face revealed to the press and the public.

 

Mandela, according to detectives from the Los Santos Police Department and prosecutors within the District Attorney’s Office of Los Santos County, is responsible for the death of four women across Los Santos County. Elijah, through his online blog where he shares photographic evidence of his crimes, claims to be a photographer and an artist.

 

“I filmed my first video with the help of a young girl named Claire. It was gorgeous, but far from a master piece in my opinion. The photos came out good, and she will be remembered for it.”, wrote the owner of the blog in the blog's journal page.

 

Claire was one of the two woman who were the subject of videos on the blog Mandela allegedly created. The videos showcased a brutal beating of the women is question after a stocky male figure, which law enforcement claim to be Elijah, forces them to pose in various positions against their will.

 

 

Detective Haas of the Los Santos Police Department detailed how they found the body of the four victims.

 

“On the 20th of April, Los Santos Police Department detectives investigated a series of coordinates that were received via an external website … These coordinates led detectives to a partially exhumed female victim in the Tongva Valley area.”

 

The coordinates were accompanied with two photographs; a bridge within the Tonga Valley area along with a close-up of a nearby sign that read “Head Downstream”.

 

 “Following a systematic and thorough excavation of the area, investigators were able to identify a singular female victim at this site. Investigators were able to identify the victim as Mercia Sauer, who had been registered as a missing persons by the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department in September of 2021.

 

“On the 2nd of May, following a series of additional images posted on the website, City Police investigators located a second homicide victim in the Capital Boulevard area. The South-Central homicide desk investigated this incident, and identified a singular female victim, identified as Samantha Johnson, a young resident of Mirror Park.

 

 

“On the 22nd of May, investigators received an anonymous tip pertaining to a third victim, linked to an additional series of images that appeared on the allison7521 website. Investigators identified a singular female victim in the North Chumash area, who was later identified as Ella Winchester.

 

“On the 10th of June, detectives discovered a fourth victim following a series of images posted on the allison7521 website. The Department has not yet been able to identify this victim, who is a young female of Asian-American ethnicity. However, thanks to the strenuous efforts of forensic experts and analysts, significant forensic evidence has been retrieved from the scene.

 

“We are currently awaiting DNA testing to confirm the victim’s identity and inform the family”

 

One of the ways law enforcement gathered evidence against Elijah to file the warrant was through analyzing the candid-photos taken and uploaded onto their blog. The photos were often from a high birds-eye view, taken atop of various buildings across the Vinewood-Hawick area.

 

“Investigators were able to locate a series of areas described as 'lookout spots' that had been utilized as vantage points to create the countless images posted across the website, and the FaceBrowser account previously.

 

“Through the strenuous efforts of forensic technicians and tire track analysts, investigators were able to secure substantial forensic evidence to progress the investigation and identify key information, such as the suspect vehicle.”

 

The vehicle in question is a rusted dark-blue Yagou Classic. The vehicle was seen near the site of Elijah’s first arrest by the Los Santos County Sheriff’s Department, and Claire later confirmed the van's description to the Daily News.

 

Elijah Mandela, detained by the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department; he was later released from custody

— Courtesy of Ashton Love, Paradise. May 13th.

 

Elijah Mandela was previously detained by the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department according to reports from the LSPD and the DA's Office. However, due to a lack of evidence, the DA was unable to press charges and Mandela was released from custody.

 

“On the 13th of May, following a joint investigation between the Los Santos Police Department and Los Santos County Sheriff's Department, a singular male suspect was apprehended and detained by the Sheriff's Department, following a positive identification of the suspect vehicle. At this time, investigators were not able to pursue charges.

 

“As the Deputy District Attorney rightly mentioned, convicting an individual within the united states can be a monumental task, especially in investigations such as this.”, Haas explained in a response to a question by LSN’s Troy Francis. “At the time, the suspicions could not be substantiated beyond a reasonable doubt. As such, Mister Mandela was released at the time. All claims against Mister Mandela have since been substantiated, and as mentioned by the Deputy District Attorney, the Los Santos Police Department is now pursuing an active arrest warrant to bring Mister Mandela to justice.”

 

Deputy DA Jennifer Li reinforced this statement later on in the press conference. They refused to detail the changes in information between the arrest on the 13^th and the information that the DA possesses now.

 

“I obviously can't release any more information than that as it's still an ongoing investigation, and as Detective Haas said, it may harm our investigation if we release too much information."

 

EDITOR'S NOTE, 12PM: The article was published with the desire for a speedy release of the suspect's identity. However, in the rushed nature of this process, we neglected to gather a comment from the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department regarding the detainment on May the 13th against Elijah Mandela. This is a failing on the Daily News' journalistic standard and we wish to rectify this. We are currently waiting a comment from the LSSD, with the request for a statement submitted at 12pm on June the 15th to Public Information Officers within LSSD.

 

"The Los Santos Police Department requests any individuals with any information regarding this cowardly individual and the associated incidents to step forward. Information may be provided to the Department anonymously, and we are looking into the possibility of a reward scheme for individuals that provide substantial information or evidence that lead to charges."

 

If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Mandela, they can contact Detective Haas and the Los Santos Police Department through the LSPD's non emergency line 9101.

 

 

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Edited June 15, 2022 by Los Santos Daily News

[Los Santos Daily News]

The full transcript of the press conference can be read here:

 

Quote

Dwayne Burke, Chief of Police:

Welcome, everyone. We have called this press conference to give you an update on the Paradise Killer investigation. I will give you a short introduction to the case, after which I will hand this over to the Detectives leading the investigation. Please keep your questions until the end. Over the past couple of months, Detectives with the South Central Area Detectives Division have connected multiple homicides, that can be attributed to the same suspect, commonly known as the Paradise Killer. Over the past couple of months, Detectives with the South Central Area Detectives Division have connected multiple homicides, that can be attributed to the same suspect, commonly known as the Paradise Killer. We have not released information about this investigation so far in order to maintain its integrity. The investigation has, however, reached a point, where we feel comfortable releasing further details to the public. We have not released information about this investigation so far in order to maintain its integrity. The investigation has, however, reached a point, where we feel comfortable releasing further details to the public.  I would just like to assure the people of Los Santos that every effort is being made to apprehend this criminal. With that being said, I will now give the word to Detective Haas with South Central Homicide. Detective. I would just like to assure the people of Los Santos that every effort is being made to apprehend this criminal. With that being said, I will now give the word to Detective Haas with South Central Homicide. Detective.

 

Detective Jacob Haas:

Good evening, and thank you Chief. Thank you all for coming today. We'll be releasing information today pertaining to an on-going Major Investigation, headed by the Los Santos Police Department, into a series of serial killings across Los Santos. We have decided to release information at this time as we believe there may be other victims across Los Santos, Los Santos County, and the wider San Andreas state. As such, it's imperative we act immediately, and transparently. In April, law enforcement was alerted to a series of suspicious posts submitted to the FaceBrowser social media network. These posts were a series of images submitted under the moniker 'allison7521'. This, uh... these images were photographs of a number of individuals across the city, though we determined they were primarily located in the Vinewood and Hawick regions. At this time, law enforcement officials monitored the account, but were unable to investigate it further. 

 

On... the 20th of April, Los Santos Police Department detectives investigated a series of coordinates that were received via an external website linked to the allison 7521 photography. These coordinates led detectives to a partially exhumed female victim in the Tongva Valley area. Following a systematic and thorough exvacation of the area, investigators were able to identify a singular female victim at this site. Investigators were able to identify the victim as Mercia Sauer, who had been registered as a missing persons by the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department in September of 2021. Due to the state of decay, investigators believe the victim had been there since her initial disappearance.

 

On the 20th and 21st of April respectively, law enforcement officials were made aware of two additional incidents of the attempted murder of two female victims. These attacks were recorded an submitted to an external website linked to the allison7521 moniker. Both of these victims suffered significant blunt-force trauma, however have since made a full recovery. We will not be releasing their names at this time.

 

Following these two incidents, law enforcement officials worked tirelessly to monitor the website and images posted on it. As a result of this surveillance, investigators were able to locate a series of areas described as 'lookout spots' that had been utilized as vantage points to create the countless images posted across the website, and the FaceBrowser account previously. Following intense investigation, investigators received a direct correspondence from the suspect. This correspondence was a cowardly attempt to goad investigators.

 

On the 2nd of May, following a series of additional images posted on the website, City Police investigators located a second homicide victim in the Capital Boulevard area. The South-Central homicide desk investigated this incident, and identified a singular female victim, identified as Samantha Johnson, a young resident of Mirror Park. Through the strenuous efforts of forensic technicians and tire track analysts, investigators were able to secure substantial forensic evidence to progress the investigation and identify key information, such as the suspect vehicle.

 

On the 13th of May, following a joint investigation between the Los Santos Police Department and Los Santos County Sheriff's Department, a singular male suspect was apprehended and detained by the Sheriff's Department, following a positive identification of the suspect vehicle. At this time, investigators were not able to pursue charges.

 

On the 22nd of May, investigators received an anonymous tip pertaining to a third victim, linked to an additional series of images that appeared on the allison7521 website. Investigators identified a singular female victim in the North Chumash area, who was later identified as Ella Winchester. Investigators discovered a note at the scene of the incident that once more attempted to goad and mislead detectives, presumably in a desperate effort to remain unsuspected.

 

On the 10th of June, detectives discovered a fourth victim following a series of images posted on the allison7521 website. The Department has not yet been able to identify this victim, who is a young female of Asian-American ethnicity. However, thanks to the strenuous efforts of forensic experts and analysts, significant forensic evidence has been retrieved from the scene. We are currently awaiting DNA testing to confirm the victims identity and inform the family. This investigation is on-going.

 

The Los Santos Police Department requests any individuals with any information regarding this cowardly individual and the associated incidents to step forward. Information may be provided to the Department anonymously, and we are looking into the possibility of a reward scheme for individuals that provide substantial information or evidence that lead to charges. I'd like to hand over to Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li, who's able to provide additional information into the on-going Major Investigation.
 

Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li: 

I'm Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li, and the current Supervisor of the casefile with the Allison website. The DA's office would first like to thank all Law Enforcement Agencies working tirelessly to solve this case and apprehend the suspect. The Police Department's Area Detective Division have not been leaving any stone unturned, getting more evidence with each day passing to convict. To convict an individual in the United States a prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that an individual is guilty, which is not an easy task, especially for cases such as murders. Our system was made that way so no innocent ends up in prison for a crime he did not commit. Recently, an arrest warrant was approved for the suspect that maybe behind all the alleged murders. The District Attorney's Office will remain transparent with the people, and will be revealing the suspect's name. Elijah Mandela is Hispanic twenty five year-old man living within the state of San Andreas, and we have enough evidence that we believe we can prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he is infact 'allison7521'. The District Attorney's Office has put out a fifty-thousand dollar reward for any information given to law enforcement officers that could result in his arrest. We advise the people of Los Santos to stay safe, and to be aware of this man.

 

The District Attorney's Office is also not going to tolerate any acts of vigilantism, and while constitutional, we are asking the people of Los Santos to refrain from attempting to apprehend the suspect themselves. If you see the suspect you call the emergency hotline; 911. If he attempts to do anything to you, you defend yourself. The victims were all women, a serial killer does not kill randomly, they target a specific type of people, with specific characteristics genders, habits, hobbies, or looks. So far, the pattern was disclosed to you by Detective Haas with the LSPD. That's all what the District Attorney's Office has to say.

 

I'll pass the microphone back to Detective Haas, but we're going to answer any questions shortly.
 
Detective Jacob Haas:

I'd like to thank the Deputy District Attorney for taking her time to share some information regarding this case. As she stated, this man should be considered dangerous. We are recommending people travel safely in the Vinewood and Hawick areas, and make sure they have company at night. Make no mistake - this man is the height of cowardice, and he offends everything he claims to have been inspired by. Justice will prevail. Law Enforcement will not relent until he, or they, are facing justice for what they've done. This investigation is on-going and we remain proactive in our efforts towards it.

 

We'll now open the floor to any questions.

 

Carry Saunders, Los Santos News Network:

Carry Saunders, LSNN. First question, Sir- according to various reports the killer does not operate alone, but in a team. Can you tell us anything about further suspects involved in the case?
Jacob Haas:

We are reluctant to release any further details, given the significance of investigative integrity. However, the Los Santos Police Department is /not/ ruling out the possibility of there being accomplices involved with the incidents we've discussed here today. At this time, our primary interest is with Mister Mandela. We are continuing our investigation and will share further details at an opportune time.

 

Thank you. Next question, please.
 

Public Speaker 01:

Is it true that the suspect suffers from an intellectual disability such as dyslexia? As he has left encrypted messages with various spelling errors?
 

 

Jacob Haas:

We are not ready to discuss the specifics of any evidence we may have received, nor comment on the psychological profile of Mister Mandela today.

 

Thank you.

Troy Francis, Los Santos News Network:

Good evening detective.  Troy Francis LSNN.  You mentioned earlier that a man was arrested on the 13th of May.  Can you confirm if that person was Mister Mandela or a different individual?  And as a follow up, if it was, why couldn't he be charged?
Jacob Haas:

Thank you for your question, Mister Francis. We can confirm that the male /detained/ on the 13th of May was Mister Mandela. As the Deputy District Attorney rightly mentioned, convicting an individual within the United States can be a monumental task, especially in investigations such as this. At the time, the suspicions could not be substantiated beyond a reasonable doubt. As such, Mister Mandela was released at the time. All claims against Mister Mandela have since been substantiated, and as mentioned by the Deputy District Attorney, the Los Santos Police Department is now pursuing an active arrest warrant to bring Mister Mandela to justice. Thank you. Next question, please.

 

 

Public Speaker 02:

Hello, one of the images on the killers website linked to an image from a Deputy Sheriff Hernan Ramirez, it had a coded message. Does this sheriff have any link to the case or the suspect?
Detective Jacob Haas:

Thank you for your question. The suspect has been known to historically taunt and goad law enforcement officials, as I mentioned earlier. While I don't want to speak too much on this subject, we believe the images shared of the business card are in line with this cowardly, provocative behavior. The Department continues to investigate all leads, however.

Yunisa Delgado-Flores, Los Santos Daily News:

Yunisa Delgado-Flores. Daily News. This is a question to the District Attorney's Office, if possible?
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li:

Yes, go ahead.
Yunisa Delgado-Flores, Los Santos Daily News:

Thank you. On behalf of the families of the victims, and the two survivors who had their tragedies recorded by this individual, will those affected by this person's atrocities be eligible for the DA's Victim Restitution Program?
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li:

The DA's Office will review each victim on a case-by-case basis as long as they go through our program. Obviously I can't give a general answer for all victims because like I said; it's reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and with the presence of the DA.

Is that all from Daily news?
Yunisa Delgado-Flores, Los Santos Daily News:

Yes, that is all. Thank you.

 

Public Speaker 01:

Why hasn't the Los Santos Police Department made an effort to seize the Allison7521 website from the public domain?
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li:

I assume this is a question for the LSPD to answer. Lets get all the questions for the DA's Office out of the way first, please.

 

Troy Francis, Los Santos News Network:

Just going back to when Mister Mandela was detained on the 13th May.  Detective Haas informed that he was released because there was nothing that could be substantiated.  What changed since then, that has led to a warrant for his arrest?
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Li:

Mister Mandela was released because we didn't believe we had enough evidence to convict him for his crimes. He was first apprehended by the Sheriff's Department and released, not the Police Department. I obviously can't release anymore information than that as it's still an ongoing investigation, and as Detective Haas said, it may harm our investigation if we release too much information.

 

Alright, I'll pass it back to Detective Haas, the DA's Office will not be answering anymore questions from this point on.

 

Public Speaker 01:

Why hasn't the Los Santos Police Department made an effort to seize the Allison7521 website from the public domain? And if an effort was made, why
Detective Jacob Haas:

Thank you for your question. The website itself has provided investigators with pivotal evidence to progress the case to this point. While I cannot disclose specific information surrounding our involvement with the website, the seizure of websites and domains is an incredibly complicated process. It is not typically local law enforcement that is responsible for these seizures. That said, as we progress this investigation, we will continue to work with neighbouring and federal agencies to ensure this website is taken away from the public domain, and Mister Mandela, and any associated parties, are refused the visibility and attention they are so desperate for.

 

Dwayne Burke, Chief of Police:

Should any further questions come up, contact our Public Communications Division who will try their best to get you a response. Please understand though, that he investigation is still active. We will call another conference, once we have a major update on the investigation. Thank you all for coming tonight. Have a good night.

 

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Los Santos Daily News

[Griz]

Username: The Hills Have Eyes

Comment: They had him detained and they let him go? Seems like they were too busy worrying about their hair gel rather than collecting factual evidence. Do better. 

[Zetara]

Username: Claire
Comment: What the fuck? So you are telling me SD had previously arrested the man who tried to kill me and then let me go? Meanwhile his accomplice torments me at least once a week... I know she's involved somehow- they'll both get theirs. Fucking disappointed in the justice system. 

[squirreltail]

Username: ElBountyHunter

Comment: ELIJAH MANDEL WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU

[Slumped]

Username: DaDawg

Comment: We're coming for you buddy.

[Nora]

On 6/15/2022 at 8:27 AM, Los Santos Daily News said:

“Through the strenuous efforts of forensic technicians and tire track analysts, investigators were able to secure substantial forensic evidence to progress the investigation and identify key information, such as the suspect vehicle.”

 

Username: noob scientist

Comment: go science!

 

[sparky]

Username: ConcernedCitizen

Comment: HANG HIM! I DONT WANT MY TAX DOLLARS TO FEED HIM IN PRISON OR EVEN GIVE HIM A DEFENSE

[Hendrix Jackson]

Username: freetheteam

 

Comment:

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Hendrix Jackson

[BoolBalmAndBollective]

Username: everyoweshot

Comment: 50k ain shit free dat nigga