Man Sentenced In Bludgeoning Murder Of La Crescenta Uncle-In-Law

LA CRESCENTA, CA – A Gardena man was sentenced Tuesday to 56 years to life in state prison for killing his uncle-in-law with a mallet, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. David Xavier Bushman, 47, was found guilty on May 1 of one count of first-degree murder with the allegation that he used a mallet as a deadly and dangerous weapon.

Arthur George Palmer, 73, was found bludgeoned to death inside his La Crescenta house on July 24, 2015, the prosecutor said. Bushman's DNA was found on the mallet next to the victim's body, according to Deputy District Attorney Ryan Erlich. He killed Palmer on or between July 21 and July 24, 2015.

Sheriff's deputies went to Palmer's house to check on his welfare after a neighbor reported that he had not seen or heard from the man for a while. Authorities could not determine if anything had been taken from the home, where Palmer lived alone, according to the prosecutor.

The defendant expected to inherit money from the victim, according to evidence presented at the trial.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock