Homicide Scene Purchased by the City for Housing for the Disabled

By Jorge Casuso

Friday, May 28 --An abandoned county mental health facility that was the scene of a 1998 homicide with possible satanic overtones has been purchased by the city and will be turned into housing for the disabled.

The 1928 Spanish Revival-style courtyard building - perhaps the oldest government building in the city - was purchased from the county last month for $1.2 million. Federal funds will pay for the purchase as well as the renovation, which is slated to cost another $743,000.

"We're capitalizing on an opportunity that doesn't come along very often," said Bob Moncrief, Santa Monica's housing director.

The city is currently negotiating a 55-year lease agreement with United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, which plans to convert the facility at 1525 Euclid St. into 13 units of affordable housing for the physically disabled.

Under the agreement, the city would use 1,000 square feet of the structure for a community room, and part of the parking lot will be converted into a "pocket park."

"The little park will be wonderful," said Mike Strader, a senior administrative analyst with the city. "The neighbors are all excited. It's a real win-win for the community."

The renovation will mark a new era for the old courtyard building, which has often been described as "spooky."

It was in the basement that the body of 14-year-old Shevawn Geoghegan was found on Feb. 24 last year. The abandoned building appeared to be the site of a satanic cult -- a pentacle and an impaled lizard were among the items found at the scene of the crime.

On May 11, the Geoghegans filed a suit charging that the county mental health was so poorly maintained it created a recognizable risk for the kind of incident that occurred.

Since purchasing the structure, the city has secured the site, which had become living quarters for transients who slipped through the fences and allegedly committed crimes.

Geoghegan wasn't the first homicide victim at the site. A decade ago, a county social service worker was attacked and killed by a client. The incident triggered a call for increased security at county mental health facilities.

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