Roger Hoan Brady

Case record: Roger Hoan Brady

Background

Roger Hoan Brady was a convicted killer who pleaded innocent to gunning down a Manhattan Beach police officer during a routine traffic stop in 1993.

Brady was 31 when he entered his plea in Torrance Superior Court.

At the time of the plea, Brady was already serving a life sentence for the August 1994 shooting death of Catalina Correa, 55, outside a grocery store near Portland, Oregon, following a robbery.

The offence

Brady’s alleged California offence involved the December 1993 slaying of police Officer Martin Ganz, described as the 1st Manhattan Beach police officer to be killed in the line of duty.

During the traffic stop, noticing that Brady’s car had crossed the limit line on Sepulveda Boulevard, the 29-year-old officer pulled Brady over and walked up to his car. Brady immediately pulled a gun and opened fire, wounding Ganz in the shoulder. Ganz retreated and collapsed. Brady chased him, stood over him and fired into his back and face.

Brady then pointed his gun at Ganz’s patrol car, where the officer’s 12-year-old nephew, Don, sat frightened while on a Christmas break ridealong.

After eight months, Brady killed Catalina Correa, 55, of Portland as he fled a Beaverton, Ore., supermarket robbery where she had been a customer.

Authorities said Brady became the primary suspect in Ganz’s killing after ballistics tests showed that a handgun seized at his home “compared identically” with the gun used to kill the officer.

Brady’s motive was described as “CE-felony”.

Brady’s method of committing the offence was described as: “Armed robber; killed policeman and female holdup victim”.

Investigation

Arrest

Brady was held without bail.

Trial

Jurors in Oregon spared Brady the death penalty. Torrance jurors did not.

Officer Martin Ganz, 29, was shot to death as he approached a car he had stopped in the Manhattan Village mall, and the gunman followed Ganz as he tried to retreat behind his patrol car.

Authorities said the officer’s young nephew was riding along with him that night and could be among the witnesses called to testify against Brady.

Sentencing

Brady was sentenced to life in prison in Oregon in 1996.

Brady was sentenced to death in California on March 16, 1999.

Jurors in Oregon spared Brady the death penalty, while Torrance jurors did not.

Appeals

Brady’s California case was described as: “condemned in Calif., 1998.”

Outcome

Torrance jurors sentenced Brady to death.

Other details

Brady was set to return to court June 6 for a pre-trial hearing.