Suspect Accused Of Plotting Rolling Hills Estates Attorney's Killing Pleads Not Guilty

LOS ANGELES, CA — A former businessman accused of masterminding the execution-style killings of a Rolling Hills Estates attorney and a former employee pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

Richard Wall Sr., 73, was ordered to remain jailed without bail by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Louis Parise Jr., who described him as "extremely sophisticated" and said the alleged crimes had been carried out through intermediaries.

Wall is accused of orchestrating the December 2009 shooting of attorney Jeffrey Tidus, 53, outside his Rolling Hills Estates home and the February 2011 killing of Juan Mendez, 35, at his apartment in Whittier. According to prosecutors, both killings were connected to legal disputes involving Wall or his business interests.

At Wednesday's hearing, Wall's attorney, James Bryant, argued that less restrictive alternatives to detention were available, including setting bail. Deputy District Attorney Hilary Williams countered that no amount of bail would adequately protect public safety.

Wall is scheduled to return to court Nov. 3, when another judge is expected to consider the defense's request for bail.

Murder Charges Dismissed Over Extradition Restrictions

Wall originally faced two counts each of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but the murder charges were dismissed Sept. 14 following a dispute over the terms of his extradition from Montenegro.

Prosecutors said Montenegrin authorities had authorized Wall's extradition on the conspiracy charges but refused to permit his prosecution on the murder counts because of concerns about potential penalties.

Williams emphasized at the September hearing that the dismissal did not reflect insufficient evidence or any determination that the murder charges were legally deficient.

The original murder charges included special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, lying in wait and murder for financial gain, which could have resulted in a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Killings Allegedly Connected To Legal Disputes

Tidus was shot in the head Dec. 7, 2009, after stepping outside his Rolling Hills Estates home to retrieve a work laptop from his vehicle. He died the following day at a hospital. Tidus had won a $1.7 million settlement in 2007 against a close friend of Wall, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and Prosecutors allege Wall arranged for an unnamed co-conspirator to carry out the killing.

Mendez, a former employee of Wall's Whittier business, Welded Fixtures, had filed a lawsuit alleging unpaid overtime and was awarded $300,000 in January 2011. Before that judgment was finalized, Wall allegedly hired and paid a co-conspirator to kill Mendez, prosecutors said.

On Feb. 26, 2011, Mendez was shot after answering a knock at the door of his Whittier apartment. Authorities said he was shot in front of his children and killed while attempting to flee. His lawsuit was subsequently dismissed before the judgment became final.

Announcing the original charges in June, District Attorney Nathan Hochman alleged that Wall had resorted to violence rather than accepting unfavorable outcomes in court.

"The families of these two victims have been waiting for over 15 years to get justice they thought may never materialize," Hochman said.

The District Attorney's Office has also identified Wall as a suspect in a third killing in Las Vegas. Wall has pleaded not guilty to the two conspiracy charges, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.

Additional reporting by City News Service.