Gilbert Archibeque

Parties and roles

• Gilbert Eugenio Archibeque (29) was identified as a suspect named in an arrest warrant alleging five counts of first-degree murder.
• Patrolman Ralph Sanchez spoke to reporters about the police call and Archibeque’s response.
• Officer Charles Shiverdecker spoke about police approaching Archibeque’s apartment and the decision to telephone him.
• Michael Trapp was Archibeque’s employer for three years at Olson Plumbing Co.
• Jill Capes (32) was in Archibeque’s apartment when Archibeque shot himself.

Timeline

• early Saturday — A robbery of the Grand View Lounge occurred; a bartender and two customers were slain, and the bar was then torched.
• about 2 a.m. the following day — Police contacted Archibeque at his apartment and told him to surrender.
• the following day (around 2 a.m.) — Archibeque replied "OK," then shot himself once in the head with a .357-caliber revolver.
• May 19, 1986 — Reports described Archibeque’s death and the investigation connected to the bar and convenience-store killings.

The offence

A robbery of the Grand View Lounge occurred early Saturday. During the robbery, a bartender and two customers were slain. The bar was then torched in an apparent effort to cover up the killings. A clerk and her sister were found dead at a neighboring convenience store next to the bar in a shopping center. The arrest warrant alleged five counts of first-degree murder and involved the slayings of five people. The matter also involved the wounding of a sixth.

Investigation

Authorities named Gilbert Eugenio Archibeque in an arrest warrant alleging five counts of first-degree murder. Archibeque was tracked to his apartment after a neighbor recognized him from a photograph taken by a surveillance camera at the store. Officers obtained an arrest warrant and also obtained a search warrant for Archibeque’s apartment. A gun thought to have been used in the shootings was recovered.

Patrolman Ralph Sanchez said he had known the man, who worked at a business behind the police station, for some time.

"I just talked with him a week and a half ago. It was a small-talk conversation. He seemed to be the most happy-go-lucky guy I'd ever seen," Sanchez said.
"I've been here (on the force) 12 1/2 years and seen a lot of homicides, but this one takes the cake. And I knew him. You tend to ask yourself what drives a person to do something like that," Sanchez said.
"He was a cheerful guy and just a heck of a nice guy," said Michael Trapp, Archibeque's employer for three years at Olson Plumbing Co.
"It's just totally unbelievable. I guess something just snapped."

Officer Charles Shiverdecker said police approached Archibeque’s apartment at 2 a.m. but decided to telephone him because it seemed the safest course.

Shiverdecker said the five slayings might have been triggered by the gunman’s concern that he would be identified:

"One of (the victims) might have known him since he lived in the area," he said.

Shiverdecker said:

"I recognized him, too," Shiverdecker said.

Shiverdecker said Archibeque worked at Olson Plumbing behind the police station and had been in there several times working on the building:

"He worked at Olson Plumbing behind the police station here. He'd been in here several times working on the building. He looked like just an average sort of guy."

Arrest / police contact and suicide

Police contacted Archibeque at his apartment about 2 a.m. the following day and told him to surrender. Patrolman Ralph Sanchez said that when Archibeque was told to surrender, he replied "O.K." and then shot himself once in the head with a .357-caliber revolver. Sanchez said:

"As far as I know, that's all he said."

Jill Capes, 32, was in the apartment when Archibeque shot himself. She was heard to say:

"What are you doing?"

Police said the single shot rang out moments before her statement.