HOLLYWOOD HILLS—In events pulled straight from a Hollywood film, a severed man’s head was discovered by two women walking their dogs on a hiking trail near the famed Hollywood sign on Tuesday, January 17. The following day on Wednesday, January 18, a set of hands and feet were discovered approximately 50 feet from where the head was discovered.
According to various reports, the Los Angeles Coroners’ Office identified the head and body parts found in Bronson Canyon Park as those of 66-year-old Hervey Medellin, a retired Mexicana Airlines employee. He has been reported to have been of Armenian descent with salt and pepper hair. Investigators say they believe Medellin was murdered in a different location and his severed body parts were then dumped at the park, located near some of Hollywood’s exclusive neighborhoods and not far from the home of “Moneyball” and “Tree of Life” star Brad Pitt. The body parts were not decomposed at the time of discovery.
During the ongoing investigation, police have obtained a search warrant for Medellin’s Hollywood Hills apartment and questioned residents at his complex including a young man who shared his apartment with Medellin. So far, no arrests have been made and no one has been detained for questioning. Detectives however have said they contacted Pitt’s bodyguard during their canvassing of the crime scene and surrounding areas as Pitt and “Kung Fu Panda 2” actress Angelina Jolie reportedly often take their children to Bronson Canyon Park to play.
Anyone with information on the case is strongly urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department Homicide Division at (213) 486-6890.
