Arrest made in 41-year-old California cold case murder of Orange County man
The Newport Beach Police Department has made an arrest in connection to a 41-year-old cold case murder of an Orange County man.
Detectives from the NBPD arrested Michael Larry Manatt, 70, from Huntington Beach on Friday for the murder of Ronald Dean Gaskey.
Police allege Manatt is responsible for the killing of Gaskey in his Newport Beach home on Dec. 13, 1983.
An article published in the Orange Coast Daily Pilot on Dec. 15, 1983, said Gaskey was found face-down in a hallway in his home and he appeared to be "clubbed on the head and face." Investigators initially ruled out robbery as a motive and were unable to find a possible weapon.
The article said Gaskey was described as a quiet man by neighbors and they did not hear or see anything unusual the night he was murdered.
During their initial investigation in 1983, detectives conducted multiple interviews and collected evidence from the scene but did not file any charges, the NBPD said.
The NBPD said the case was reopened by current detectives who reviewed the evidence and reports. They completed additional interviews, which led to the identification of Manatt.
The case was presented to a judge who granted a warrant for Manatt's arrest. He was taken into custody and is being held on a $1 million bail, according to the NBPD.
Anyone with any information regarding the case is encouraged to contact Detective Kyle Markwald at 949-644-3762 or kmarkwald@nbpd.org.
