Crime & Safety
Man Accused of Killing Man Found In 55-Gallon Drum Dies In Suicide
A man accused of killing a man found dead in a 55-gallon drum in Malibu last year died of suicide while in jail, authorities said.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Criminal charges were dismissed Monday against a man whom authorities determined died from a suicide while behind bars on charge stemming from two killings, including the death of a man whose body was discovered in a 55-gallon drum on a beach in Malibu.
Joshua Simmons, 38, died Nov. 10 at a hospital from the effects of swallowing foreign objects, according to records from the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner.
Simmons was charged in October 2023 with murder and a handgun use allegation in connection with the death of 32-year-old Javonnta Marshann Murphy, whose body was found last summer inside the 55-gallon drum in the 23200 block of Pacific Coast Highway.
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A lifeguard spotted the barrel and was able to bring it to shore, then opened it and discovered the body inside.
Sheriff's homicide investigators determined that Murphy was shot, killed and stuffed inside the barrel. He died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to records from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
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Simmons was subsequently charged in January with the Jan. 20, 2023, killing of Anthony Soloc, 50, who was shot in the head in Inglewood.
The murder charges included the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, along with allegations that Simmons personally used an assault weapon and a semi-automatic pistol.
Simmons was also charged with three counts of criminal threats involving separate victims in July 2023 and September 2023, along with one count of attempted robbery in September 2023 in El Monte. The criminal complaint alleges that he personally used bear repellent spray during the crimes in September 2023, and that he had prior convictions from 2006 for grand theft and 2008 for burglary.
Simmons was arrested in October 2023 by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and had remained behind bars since then.
A second defendant, Dennis Eugene Vance, now 42, is charged with a felony count of being an accessory after the fact. He is free on bond while awaiting his next court appearance Feb. 7.
City News Service
