David Arisman

Background

David Arisman was a 47-year-old parolee with a history of violence. He was a condemned inmate on death row.

The offence

Arisman confronted a pair who arrived with a delivery: a man, Michael Trinidad, and his partner, Moriel. Arisman tied Trinidad and Moriel with ropes and choked them to near unconsciousness. Arisman then shot Trinidad in the heart. During the incident, the woman broke free, fought with Arisman, and ran into the front office, where she alerted a parking officer outside. Another man who was delivering furniture either happened onto the attack or saw it through the window and tried to intervene.

Investigation

A delivery man was shot to death and another was choked unconscious after they interrupted a lunch-hour sexual assault on a secretary. The attacks occurred shortly before noon at Answers, a small business that had opened four days earlier. The identities of the victims were withheld pending notification of their relatives.

Arrest

Arisman ran, but he was quickly arrested shortly after the attack. The arrest followed the interruption of the lunch-hour sexual assault.

Trial

After jurors found Arisman guilty of killing Trinidad, he looked at them and threatened:

“I hate this government and the society that supports it. That means you. You are my enemies and I am justified in killing you. My only regret is that I didn’t get to kill more of you sorry bastards.”

Sentencing

Arisman was sentenced to death on January 15, 1999 for the 1997 murder of Michael Trinidad. He was later transferred from San Quentin State Prison.

Outcome

Arisman died in hospice care before he could be executed. California prison officials said that Arisman died after 5 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2009 at a prison medical facility in Vacaville. He was 61 years old at the time of death.

Aftermath

Arisman was described as a condemned inmate who died in hospice care before he could be executed.