Hollywood severed head mystery may finally be solved

A murder mystery revolving around a severed head discovered by a dog near the Hollywood sign in Hollywood's Griffith Park in January 2012 may have finally been solved.

Police arrested Gabriel Campos-Martinez, 38, in San Antonio and charged him with killing his former boyfriend, 66-year-old Hervey Medellin. Campos-Martinez and Medellin shared an apartment for about six months in California.

"This was a lengthy investigation and they reached the point where they believe they had evidence beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the murder," LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith told the Los Angeles Times.

After the head was found, cadaver dogs eventually sniffed out hands and feet, but failed to recover a torso. "Our assumption was that there was always people filming up there, and it was a prop," dog walker Lauren Kornberg said in 2012. "We walked down the ravine and got closer and realized it was a freshly severed human head."

Campos-Martinez reported Medellin missing about a week before the head was found.

Investigators looked into Campos-Martinez's online activity found evidence indicating he "may have been researching a vehicle website to possibly make a purchase and housing websites for relocation" as well as "researching the gold and diamond websites to possibly sell such items owned by the victim.”

[CNN] [Los Angeles Times]