So a former coworker was just arrested for murder

[Casey at the Bat]

ARCADIA, Calif. -- A John Muir High School history teacher was in custody Saturday on suspicion of killing an Arcadia man who had a relationship with his ex- wife, City News Service reported.
Brandon Michael Landreth, 30, allegedly rode a skateboard to a home in the 2200 block of Canyon Drive, knocked on the door and shot Justo Cesar Morales, 25, before riding off on the skateboard to his car, according to police and broadcast reports.
Landreth made a brief appearance in Pasadena Superior Court Friday afternoon, but he did not enter a plea, and his arraignment was put off until April 17.

Landreth, arrested Wednesday night in Arcadia and held in custody in lieu of $2 million bail, was charged with murder in connection with the March 30 killing.

Kinda wierd. I knew him before he became a teacher, when he was working towards his credential. Was the nicest guy ever, right out of Mayberry. Always had a smile and a handshake for everyone he met. I remember when he left for his student teaching, then became an elementary school teacher. He taught at least one of my coworkers kids. We were all quite happy for him, cause no one deserved it more than he did. After a few years of elementary school, he moved to the high school to teach history. By the news reports here at home, he was a pretty popular teacher there.

I remember a close friend saying that Landreth changed after his marriage soured. Couldn't pinpoint really what it was, but he was different. The last phone call they had with him was a few years ago, and he said it was just strange. Hadn't talked to him since. He just kinda faded away.

A current coworker spoke to him just this week. Still the same old Brandon. Greeted her with a smile and a handshake. No sign that anything was ever wrong in his life. Needless to say, we were all shocked when we heard the news this weekend. Brandon? Really? Never would have guessed he was capable of something like that. Really weird, really shocking, and really sad, for everyone involved.

[yankees2287]

wow....just wow

[JDPNYY]

Skateboard rage.

[#1PaFan]

He was a good neighbor. He kept to himself...

[WashingtonYankee]

I'm sorry about this. It must be really hard.

[SalingerNY]

The whole skateboard thing is definitely the bizarro aspect of the story.

[WashingtonYankee]

The whole skateboard thing is definitely the bizarro aspect of the story.

Couldn't agree more.

[shotz]

There is probably a lot more to this.

[BBombers85]

There is probably a lot more to this.

Like murders instead of murder?

[26 and counting]

A few years ago, my dog's veterinarian was dating this girl that I knew from high school. He seemed like a happy, nice guy. A few months later, she broke up with him, and now he's serving 44 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Just crazy and sad at the same time.

[RhodeyYankee2638]

Any cool stories about him?

[wexy]

30yr olds riding skateboards is weird. I worked with a guy that did time for manslaughter, he wound up back in the big house for something.
Its still sad of course especially for the victim.

[#1PaFan]

A few years ago, my dog's veterinarian was dating this girl that I knew from high school. He seemed like a happy, nice guy. A few months later, she broke up with him, and now he's serving 44 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Just crazy and sad at the same time.

Because she broke up with him?

[xenadanielle]

Craziness! And yes the skateboard thing is totally odd.

The son of my next door neighbor is awaiting trial for stabbing his girlfriend to death last year.

[dabomb2045]

Just a few days ago....one of my dad's co-workers was nearly killed by some 17-year old kid who broke into their house and started stabbing everyone.

Turns out this kid was dating the co-worker's daughter. She dumped him and the next day he tries to stab everyone to death with a machete.

[YASS]

Because she broke up with him?

A girl broke up with me once, but I got off with just probation.

[YASS]

A guy I was in boy scouts with when I was a kid attempted to kill his parents for the insurance money a few years later. Don't remember what happened to him after that.

And back in the early 90's, a guy in my unit signed out of the office one morning saying he was going to the education office, drove home, shot his wife in the head and in the back while she was still asleep in bed, then drove back to work and calmly gave us our 9am security briefing (he was the unit security officer at the time and this was during the runup to Desert Storm, so we got these briefings pretty frequently in those days). We'd been to a party with them just a few weeks before, and they'd seemed like a happy couple.

His wife lived, even though she was paralyzed, and identified him as the assailant. For a while he claimed that she was hallucinating (you know, because of the head trauma), but there was other evidence, and he wound up being convicted of the crime.

[cubhater]

A high school friend's brother is doing a life sentence for raping and murdering his neighbor over 20 years ago. He had an ongoing feud with her, broke into her house while he drunk, and stabbed her over 40 times. He seemed like a normal guy but you can never tell.

[philleotardo]

A guy, his wife and 3 children were murdered a little over a year ago in Dutchess County, apparently over a drug dispute. The guy sat behind me in freshman homeroom 20 years ago.
The (I believe still alleged) killer used to live across the street from my job at the time and would come in just to be a nuisance to the people that worked there, including his mother.
At the time, they were close buddies.

[ChinMusic]

I'm sorry about this. It must be really hard.

Jeez, this post could be taken out of context.

[4bronxbombers]

Wow Casey. That is terrible.

[krystl]

All these stories are so sad. Jealousy makes some people do crazy things.

Not long ago, a 17 year old boy my daughter knew in school, was stabbed to death by his 16 year old girlfriend because he broke up with her.

And when I was a kid, the ex-boyfriend of a college girl in my town, home on break, entered her parents house in middle of the night and bludgeoned the ex-gf to death with a hammer when she was asleep.

[4bronxbombers]

^ ugh....that's just awful.

Similar thing at my HS. A kid I graduated with - his brother kidnapped, raped and burned to death a girl that was in my brother's class. It was horrible. The kid was about 16 IIRC.

[YankeeGalSC]

We knew a couple where the husband murdered the wife. It was awful...he killed her with a shovel in a fit of rage (I think she was planning to move on). 2 lives ruined..so sad.

[Casey at the Bat]

We knew a couple where the husband murdered the wife. It was awful...he killed her with a shovel in a fit of rage (I think she was planning to move on). 2 lives ruined..so sad.

These stories are horrible. They become even worse when there are kids involved who no longer have either parent.

[dabomb2045]

A guy, his wife and 3 children were murdered a little over a year ago in Dutchess County, apparently over a drug dispute. The guy sat behind me in freshman homeroom 20 years ago.
The (I believe still alleged) killer used to live across the street from my job at the time and would come in just to be a nuisance to the people that worked there, including his mother.
At the time, they were close buddies.

I know this story very well. I live less then a mile from where the murders and arson took place. My dad is a volunteer fireman in the district, and he was on the scene of the house fire. The two guys arrested and charged with the murders were both convicted. The one guy was sentenced last week....he got 40 consecutive life sentences without parole. I believe the other guy is still awaiting sentencing.

[krystl]

I know this story very well. I live less then a mile from where the murders and arson took place. My dad is a volunteer fireman in the district, and he was on the scene of the house fire. The two guys arrested and charged with the murders were both convicted. The one guy was sentenced last week....he got 40 consecutive life sentences without parole. I believe the other guy is still awaiting sentencing.

I remember that story too. So sad.

[hardrain]

I've been banging my neighbor's wife for years and nothing has happened to me...

(Sorry, I think I am channeling George)

[26 and counting]

Because she broke up with him?

I sort of yadda-yaddad the part where he hid in her house until she came home, and he shot her six times.