Monday, July 27, 2015

LA Weekly ‘Expose’ on Murder of Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo Leaves More Questions, Sparks Debate, Raw Emotions

Murdered Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo.....I took this photo of him just weeks before he was killed.....

By Randy Economy

I just read this week’s article on the death/murder of my friend former Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo in the LA Weekly by reporter Hillel Aron. 

The article (Mayor Daniel Crespo Battered His Wife for 28 Years. She Shot Him the Day He Turned on Their Son) will hit newsstands on Thursday.

Since I was used as a “source” for the article, and quoted throughout the well-researched piece, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts.

To outsiders, who had no knowledge about Daniel and Lyvette Crespo, the article clearly paints the late mayor as literally a “mad man monster” full of rage, anger and complete hatred who was in a rotten marriage that needed to be dissolved years ago.

Most of the “evidence” contained in the article comes from testimony by witnesses who were close to the couple and the Crespo family children. 

It is shocking to read some of the accounts, but it needs to be read by everyone.

Daniel Crespo, in my opinion, was misunderstood, complex as pointed out....he was a man, a father, husband, elected official, friend, companion and confidant too many within his “inner world.”

Daniel Crespo was not a monster in my opinion, but had "inner monsters" deep inside him.

Here is how Atel ended the article:

“That a violent life should end violently is, perhaps, no great surprise. Daniel Crespo always believed people were out to get him. Randy Economy had lunch with him once at a Denny's in Commerce. There, Crespo said somebody was trying to kill him.

"He was suspect of a lot of people," Economy says, "people on his City Council, people on his local police department, people he had worked with [who were] convicted felons."

Economy was shocked to see Lyvette at Crespo's funeral. She sat not 10 feet from the casket, stoically, until the end of the service, when a video was played of Crespo singing at a recent Miss Bell Gardens pageant. It was then that Lyvette broke down in tears.

She picked out the gravestone. It read: "Daniel Crespo. Beloved husband & father. Your songs will play forever in our hearts." She also purchased the cemetery plot next to her husband's, for herself.”

Final thought:

We live in the United States of America. The legal system is now in control of this case.  Is Lyvette Crespo going to be found guilty in this case, or will the complex life and death of Daniel Crespo continue to haunt Southeast Los Angeles County politics for generations to come.

I still believe in our legal system.

I know that justice has many sides and is complex, emotional, raw, and sometimes unfair.

The day Lyvette Crespo was arrested in this case, and charged with Voluntary Manslaughter, I went to Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Downtown Los Angeles and I purchased her a black onyx beaded Rosary with a Prayer Card that I had blessed. 

I made sure that Lyvette Crespo received the Rosary….

I will be talking openly about this case in the months to come on my radio show.

I welcome Lyvette with OPEN ARMS to tell her story with my listeners.

Until then, let’s all continue to pray for Justice in this case….
Here is the link to the article....

http://www.laweekly.com/news/mayor-daniel-crespo-battered-his-wife-for-28-years-she-shot-him-the-day-he-turned-on-their-son-5840399
 

4 comments:

Randy Economy said...

I want to hear from all of you about the shooting death of Daniel Crespo. We all have an opinion and I VALUE yours....regardless of where you stand.....

Unknown said...

Great analysis, Randy.

Anonymous said...

Whether he beat his wife or not and whether he cheated or not he didn't deserve to be killed by his wife. She could of left him and divorced him, but she didn't. She chose to stay. Killing someone is not the only way out.
Now my problem is with the other woman. Patty Olivas, who claims to also have been battered by him yet still has a facebook page Justice for Mayor Daniel Crespo!

Shantel said...

Anonymous you need to be, I just want to correct something. I am the one who created the Facebook page Justice for Mayor Daniel Crespo. I did it for my family and friends to honor and remember Danny for all the good he did. This page is up since the rest of Danny family is in NY we wanted to be close to everyone and get justice for him. What your problem should be is with the sheriff and D.A who let a killer roam for months free before charging her. NY don't tolerate killers walking free to sell properties and have money for a low bail. Killers are charged immediately. As for your problem with Paty Olivas that's just it your personal problem, please lets not confuse it again. Our family is still waiting for Justice and we have enough to deal with his life being taken away from us so young..