The man accused of killing two men, including one whose body was found in a 55-gallon drum on a Malibu beach, died by suicide while in custody.
Joshua Simmons, 38, died on Nov. 10 from ingesting foreign objects, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. His death led to the dismissal of criminal charges against him on Monday.
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Simmons was arrested in October 2023 for the murder of 32-year-old Javonnta Marshann Murphy, whose body was discovered inside a barrel on Pacific Coast Highway last summer. Murphy died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Simmons was also charged with the January 2023 killing of 50-year-old Anthony Soloc in Inglewood. Additionally, he faced charges for three counts of criminal threats and one count of attempted robbery in El Monte.
A second suspect, Dennis Eugene Vance, 42, is charged with being an accessory after the fact and is currently out on bail awaiting his next court appearance on Feb. 7.