Nathan Nicholas Trupp

Case record: Nathan Nicholas Trupp

Background

Nathan Nicholas Trupp was a longtime mental patient with a long history of mental illness. He claimed to be on a "mission from God."

Michael Landon was an actor.

Nathan Nicholas Trupp was wanted in connection with several murders in New Mexico and was accused of killings in both New Mexico and at Universal Studios in Southern California.

The offence

On November 29, 1988, Nathan Trupp walked into a Northeast Heights bagel shop and fatally shot two men and a woman.

At Universal Studios, Nathan Trupp shot and killed two security guards at the main gate.

He had asked several employees where he could find Michael Landon. He walked off the tour tram and went to the guardhouse at the entrance to the compound, where he demanded to use a studio phone to speak to Landon. When the guards refused, he walked away and returned a moment later. He pulled a gun and shot both men through the head.

Armando Torres died instantly after being shot.

Jeren Beeks died a short while later at the hospital.

Investigation

Nathan Trupp was found by a California court to be psychotic, and court-appointed psychiatrists concluded he was insane.

He later eluded police.

Trial

Nathan Nicholas Trupp admitted in court that he killed the two Universal Studios guards while stalking actor Michael Landon.

Nathan Nicholas Trupp pleaded guilty to two counts of murder in Los Angeles Superior Court because prosecutors wanted him to admit that he killed the two guards. At the request of prosecutors, Judge Clarence A. Stromwall accepted Trupp's original plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and committed him to an unspecified state mental hospital.

The hearing took place on May 25, 1990.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Sterling E. Norris asked how Trupp pleaded to the murder charges, and Trupp answered "guilty" twice.

Judge Clarence A. Stromwall accepted Trupp's not guilty by reason of insanity plea and committed him to a state mental hospital for the mentally disabled.

The charges and commitment were for the Dec. 1, 1988 slayings of:

• Armando Torres, 18, of Los Angeles
• Jeren Beeks, 27, of La Crescenta

Families of the victims attended the hearing. Some burst into tears when the names of the two victims were announced during the reading of the charges.

Sentencing

Nathan Nicholas Trupp was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to an unspecified state mental hospital.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Sterling E. Norris said:

"In practical terms, we think he will never be released," Norris said. "It is the result we had to accept. We had three top psychiatrists who found he was insane."

Norris also said after the hearing that it was unlikely Trupp would ever be released from custody.

The plea bargain was described as necessary by Norris because convicting Trupp of the two murders would be unlikely.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

The court found Nathan Nicholas Trupp not guilty by reason of insanity for the murders at Universal Studios and committed him to an unspecified state mental hospital.

Aftermath

Jaime Torres, Armando Torres' older brother, said that families were basically pleased with the plea agreement as long as Trupp remained in custody. He said:

"I just hope they keep their side of the bargain and keep him in there for life,"

He also said that whether Trupp was in a prison or a mental hospital did not matter, "as long as he is not allowed to hurt anyone else."

Other details

A man named Nathan Trupp was described as mentally ill and wanted in connection with several murders in New Mexico.

The Universal Studios incident was described as happening while "Highway to Heaven" was in final production in December 1988.

Nathan Nicholas Trupp was 42 when he toured the Universal Studios 420-acre studio lot on a general admission ticket. He was also described as 43 in the courtroom report.