1937 Romo Murder
[Santa Maria Daily Times, July 13, 1937]
The police department issued Mrs. Romo a permit to carry a revolver a few days ago. It was taken out "for protection," it was reported from the police department.
The shooting, believed to have been the outgrowth of an argument over the couple's son, Raymond Frank Romo Jr. [1935-2015], occurred about 7 o'clock this morning, in the 400 block of West Orange street, near the intersection with Curryer street.
Persons living nearby were attracted by a single shot and the screams of Mrs. Romo, who had been employed as a waitress [?] separation from her husband [?] reported shot her husband with a .25-calibre revolver, the bullet penetrating just to the left of the heart.
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| Santa Maria Daily Times, July 13, 1937 (front page) |
Dies in Hospital
"Take him to the hospital! Take him to the hospital!" persons on the scene just after the shooting reported Mrs. Romo as screaming.
Police were called immediately. Romo was transported to Santa Maria hospital by Patrolman J.F. McDermott. The victim died about three minutes after he reached the hospital.
Mrs. Romo made no resistance to arrest. She was taken to Santa Barbara by Police Chief Dan McCandless, Deputy Sheriff Deane Laughlin and Deputy District Attorney Thomas P. Weldon.
Curtis Jordan, another automobile painter, employed at the Valley Motor Sales Co., was with Mrs. Romo when the shooting took place and he was also taken to Santa Barbara and was being questioned by officials this afternoon following her relation of the story of the shooting this morning.
Wife Relates Story
Mrs. Romo said her husband had been jealous of her, even though they had separated and he had sued for divorce, and that he followed her this morning early when Jordan drove her to her home. She exhibited scratches on her chest, which she said she sustained when her husband attempted to drag her from Jordan's car. She told officers she shot in self-defense.
Mrs. Romo, who said she was born in 1906 [sic] in Missoula, Mont., told the Santa Barbara officers she went to Los Angeles something over two years ago to work as a waitress and there met Romo. He was getting a divorce from a previous wife, she said, but she lived with him as a wife and a son was born to them in the fall of 1935. They were finally married in May of this year, she said, after coming here, and separated soon thereafter. She told officers he assaulted her and threatened her, after their separation, and recounted that early this month she applied to the local police for permission to carry a revolver. This was granted and she purchased a .25-calibre Colt automatic from Hughes Bros. on July 7. It was this weapon, she said, with which she killed her husband this morning.
Absolves Jordan
She absolved Jordan from blame in the shooting, but officers held him for questioning this afternoon.
Friends had known for some time of the domestic difficulties of the Romos.
After the couple had been involved in numerous arguments, divorce proceedings were brought by Romo June 29. Mrs. Romo assertedly had asked a local attorney to represent her, but he had not yet taken the case. She told the attorney she was contesting the divorce only insofar as custody of the child was concerned.
Child Reported Seized
The couple were known to have quarreled repeatedly.
She had recently told acquaintances thatt Romo had seized their child from a home on West Church street near the telephone office, where she was keeping the boy, and had taken the lad to the home of his parents.
About that time, Mrs. Romo appeared with a very black eye.
It was reported that Mrs. Romo was seen in a local cafe about 4 o'clock this morning in a highly nervous state. She made a telephone call from the cafe, then left. She had sat at the counter. When a waitress served a cup of coffee, she reportedly said, "I didn't order that. I don't want any coffee."
Romo was employed in the Bowers & Stokes garage. He worked as an automobile painter for a few days at a time. He had previously been employed by the Earl C. Anthony Co. of Los Angeles. He was born in Riverside.
Experts Called
A ballistics expert was to arrive in Santa Maria from Los Angeles this afternoon. An autopsy surgeon likewise was to be imported. Dr. Jules Bertero, who usually conducts autopsies, is out of the city on vacation.
It was believed an autopsy would be conducted on the body of the victim this afternoon, with an inquest tentatively scheduled for tomorrow morning in Dudley Mortuary, where the body was taken.
Romo is survived by one brother, Richard Romo of Santa Maria; six sisters, Mrs. Louis Nixon, Mrs. Clara Freeman, and Lillian and Dolores Romo, all of Santa Maria, and Mrs. Rose Fernandez and Lucille Romo, both of Los Angeles. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Romo, also surviving, live at 202 East Chapel street.
The murder victim lived at 208 North McClelland street. His wife lived in the residence of Mrs. Lillian Mussell, 500 West Cook street. Mrs. Romo's father, Roy Krimbaugh, lives in Buhl, Idaho. He was notified by telegram of the shooting.
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[Santa Maria Daily Times, July 14, 1937]
Inquest into the fatal shooting of Raymond Frank Romo, 33, Santa Maria automobile painter, by his wife, Vivian Krimbaugh Romo, 31-year-old local waitress, will be held tomorrow, it was revealed today by Deputy District Attorney Thomas P. Weldon. Deputy Weldon was in Santa Barbara today, conferring with Coroner E.G. Dodge, Sheriff James Ross and District Attorney Percy Heckendorf, in a further investigation.
Dr. Albert Missall last night conducted an autopsy in Dudley Mortuary on the body of Romo, and stated that he died from pulmonary hemorrhage, caused from a bullet admittedly fired by Mrs. Romo from a .25-calibre Colt automatic pistol. The bullet penetrated one lung, and did not touch the heart.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Dan McCandless and Deputy Sheriff Deane Laughlin revealed additional information given by Mrs. Romo, who is booked in Santa Barbara county jail on a charge of murder, and Curtis Jordan, 30, also a Santa Maria automobile painter, who is held as a material witness.
Three Shots Fired
Three shots were fired by Mrs. Romo. The first shot missed and penetrated the upholstery of Jordan's car, in which she was sitting; the second entered Romo's body and the third went wild. She said she was returning to her room at 500 West Cook street with Jordan, in Jordan's Auburn sedan. When she reached the intersection of Orange and Curryer streets, they parked and she saw her husband rushing towards them from the west.
According to her story to the police, Romo approached the car and, asserting, "I'll get you both," attempted to pull her from the car, reaching past Jordan to clutch at her. She showed four scratches on her throat an chest which she said were made by Romo.
Jordan grappled with him, she said, and she reached for her purse, which was lying on the seat between her and Jordan. She pulled out the revolver and fired. After the second shot, she said Romo exclaimed, "I'm shot."
Police were called and Romo was taken to Santa Maria hospital, where he died three minutes after arrival.
Had Sought Protection
Police revealed that Mrs. Romo had asked for protection "at least three or four times," and that each time she appeared in the police station, one or both of her eyes were blackened. Police had been taking her home from work at night. She said in Santa Barbara yesterday that her husband had threatened to kill her several times and had beaten her often.
Mrs. Romo also went to Deputy Weldon twice to get protection. On July 7 police gave her a license to carry a concealed weapon. She purchased the fatal revolver in Hughes Bros. store that day.
Acquaintances here revealed that Romo had threatened his wife several times, and that at least once, he had attempted to kill her. They said she often appeared in the cafe where she was employed here, with bruises and blackened eyes. Once she assertedly had the marks of her husband's fingers on her throat.
Mrs. Romo had been with Jordan Sunday night before the killing yesterday morning, which occurred about 7 o'clock. Both admitted yesterday they had spent much of the night riding around in Jordan's car. It had been parked east of Santa Maria. Jordan lived at the same address as Mrs. Romo.
Alarm Clock Found
An alarm clock set for 7 o'clock was found in the back of Jordan's car.
While both Jordan and Romo had previously been employed as automobile painters in Los Angeles, it was not believed they knew each other in that city. Romo had worked for the Earl C. Anthony Co. in Los Angeles. He was employed by Bowers & Stokes here, and Jordan is employed by the Valley Motor Sales Co.
Mrs. Romo and Jordan will be brought here for the inquest tomorrow. Deputy Weldon and Coroner Dodge were to set the time of inquest today.
Divorce Suit Filed
Romo brought divorce proceedings against his wife last June 29. She intended to fight the case insofar as custody of their two-year-old son, Raymond Frank Romo Jr., was concerned. While Romo was getting a divorce in Los Angeles from a previous wife, and the present Mrs. Romo was working in a cafe at Ninth and Hill, she said yesterday, she lived with him, and the son was born in December, 1935. The Romos were wed last May. She charged that Romo had once seized their child from a home on West Church street, where she previously lived. The lad is now with Romo's parents.
Friends of Mrs. Romo said the husband went where he pleased alone and objected to Mrs. Romo going anywhere.
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[Santa Maria Daily Times, July 15, 1937]
A Ray Pinker of Los Angeles, ballistics expert and forensic chemist, was conducting exainations of the bullets and pistol used in the fatal shooting here Tuesday morning of Raymond Frank Romo, 33-year-old automobile painter, and the clothing worn by the victim, a coroner's inquest was started at 2:30 this afternoon in Dudley Mortuary.
The jury included A.C. Davis, Luther Hopper, Clifford Dunlap, Elwood Bryant, R.O. Talley, C.W. Hatch, Donald Taylor, J. France, Paul Fox, O.F. Glenn, Andrew P. Hill Jr. and Henry Tilley.
Pinker took two bullets, one which lodged in the metal ledge beneath a rear window in the car from which the fatal shots were fired, and one from the body of Romo; the .25-calibre revolver admitted used by Mrs. Vivian Romo, the victim's wife, and Romo's clothing to Los Angeles to conduct examinations.
Fifteen Summoned
Seventeen persons were scheduled to testify during the inquest this afternoon, conducted by E.G. Dodge and Dp. Dist. Attorney Thomas P. Weldon. They included Mrs. Romo, who had been held in Santa Barbara county jail on charges of murdering her husband; Curtis Jordan, also held in Santa Barbara, as a material witness; Dr. Albert Missall, who conducted the autopsy; Virginia Rivas, Joseph Tolick, Leonara Deluchi and Julia Hannam, all of whom were at the scene of the shooting, on Orange street near Curryer, shortly after it occurred; Patrolman Charles Taylor of the local police force; Undersheriff Jack Ross, of Santa Barbara, who aided in the preliminary investigation; Mrs. Lillian Mussell, in whose home Mrs. Romo had Jordan both roomed; Homer Hughes, who sold the fatal weapon; Patrolman J.F. McDermott, who transported the victim to Santa Maria hospital, where he died; Richard Romo, a surviving brother; Mrs. Ed Rencher and Mrs. Julia Souza, acquaintances of Mrs. Romo; Marcus Aguirre, to whom Romo assertedly made a statement that he intended to kill his wife, and Police Chief Dan McCandless.
Jailed for Assault
Meanwhile, it was reported here today that Romo, about a year ago, was sentenced to six months in Los Angeles county jail on charges of battery against a policeman of Catalina island.
Mrs. Romo and several of her friends here have asserted that Romo often assaulted her. It is known that she often appeared with blackened eyes and bruises assertedly inflicted by her husband.
Mrs. Romo killed her husband about 7 o'clock Tuesday morning. She said that she and Jordan, with whom she admitted she had spent the night in his car east of Santa Maria, were returning to her rooms, when Romo stopped them on West Orange street, near Curryer.
She said her husband attempted to drag her from the car, when she shot him. He died shortly after he was taken to Santa Maria hospital.
Rosary for Victim
Rosary will be recited for the victim tonight at 8 o'clock in Dudley Mortuary. Requiem high mass will be said in St. Mary's Catholic church tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. The funeral cortege will form at Dudley Mortuary tomorrow morning at 8:30. Burial will be in Santa Maria cemetery.
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| Ray Romo w/first wife Millie (1908-1986) |
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[Santa Maria Daily Times, July 16, 1937]
Mrs. Vivian Romo was free today of any charge in connection with the slaying of her husband.
A coroner's jury yesterday afternoon found she was justified in killing Raymond Frank Romo last Tuesday morning, because he had assaulted her and she was in fear of her life.
Mrs. Romo and more than a dozen witnesses were heard as they testified in the hearing into the fatal shooting of Romo, Santa Maria automobile painter, which concluded, in the words of Mrs. Romo, "three years of fighting and going through perfect hell."
The jury recommended that Mrs. Romo be not prosecuted and that she be immediately released from custody. It took only about 15 minutes of deliberation before the jury reached its verdict. A half hour later Mrs. Romo and Curtis Jordan, who had been held as a material witness, were set fre.
The jury included A.C. Davis, Luther Hopper, Clifford Dunlap, Elwood Bryant, R.O. Talley, C.W. Hatch, Donald Taylor, J. France, Paul Fox, O.F. Glenn, Andrew P. Hill Jr. and Henry Tilley.
Mr. Romo's Story
Mrs. Romo said that the night before the fatal shooting, she and Curtis Jordan, who is also a local automobile painter, went for a ride in Jordan's car. Both testified they had spent the night in the car, while it was parked on a road east of Santa Maria. When they were on their way back to Mrs. Romo's rooms at 500 West Cook street, about 7 o'clock last Tuesday morning, Mrs. Romo said the car was stopped by her husband on Cook street near the intersection with Curryer street.
"He ran toward the car," the defendant testified. "'I'm going to get you this time,'" she quoted her husband as saying. "Then he started to beat up on me. He struck me about the head and face several times. He said he would kill me.
"During the time we were fighting I got my gun out of my purse. I pulled the zipper back and reached for the gun and pulled the safety lock as I was getting it.
Fired Three Shots
"I wanted to give Ray (her husband) fair warning, so I shot the first shot through the black window. I don't know where the second shot went. Then he tried to get the gun away from me. After the second shot, he said, 'I'm shot,' but I didn't believe him. I don't know where the second shot went.
"He was still fighting, and I knew he wouldn't stop, so I fired the third shot."
Mrs. Romo said that while the fighting and shooting was going on, he was leaning over her, through the front window of the car. She was sitting on the right side of the driver's seat. Jordan was behind the wheel. Jordan later testified that he was trying to protect Mrsr. Romo, and also to protect himself.
After Romo was shot, Mrs. Romo tried to get out of the car.
"If you'll let me out," she asserted she told her husband, "I'll call an ambulance." "All I remember him saying was, 'get me to the hospital,'" she testified.
Talks to the Jury
After Deputy District Attorney Thomas P. Weldon had finished questioning her, he asked Mrs. Romo if she wished to add anything.
"I want you gentlemen to know," she told the jury, "that I never would have done such a thing, but it has been three years of fighting and going through perfect hell!"
She sobbed as she made this statement.
When Mrs. Romo was relating how she shot her husband, Deputy Weldon had a davenport brought before the jury. Mrs. Romo sat on it, with Jordan at her side. She showed exactly how she reached for her purse, got her pistol and fired, the weapon in her left hand. It was a .25-calibre Colt automatic.
Mrs. and the man she killed were married last May. They had lived together as man and wife, she admitted, since a time about three years ago. A son was born out of wedlock in December, 1935. She said she married Romo last May because of the child, and that they lived together only two weeks after the marriage.
Threatened her Life
The defendant said Romo had threatened to kill her several times. She recounted one time.
"After I had gotten off work one afternoon, I went to my rooms to sleep. I had asked Curtis (Jordan) to help me move. I had gotten another room. Curtis had told me he would have to work, but he came up to the room anyway.
"Ray came up the steps to the room. He had a gun and threatened both of us."
Deputy Weldon asked whether it was a real gun, and Mrs. Romo said she discovered later it was a toy pistol. Mrs. Romo said she was "dressed in a negligee" when the incident occurred.
Mrs. Julia Souza and Mrs. Ed Rencher testified that Romo had threatened his wife many times, and that they had often seen her with blackened eyes and bruises.
Escorted Her Home
Mrs. Souza said she accompanied Mrs. Romo home from work many times, because she was afraid of her husband. She said that one time, Romo had tried to run them down with an automobile.
"We were walking across the street when he tried to run into us," Mrs. Souza said. "I saw him coming, and pushed Mrs. Romo out of the way. Then he stopped and offered to take us home. We refused, but he said he would show us he could behave, so we got into the car with him.
"We drove out to the west part of the city. Then he tried to run into a telephone pole. I twisted the steering wheel and we missed it."
She said she then stopped the car, and that she and Mrs. Romo got out and walked.
Marcus Aguirre, son-in-law of Mrs. Souza, testified that once while he was "having a beer" with Romo, Romo had said, "There is going to be a murder one of these days." Aguirre said Romo did not state who was going to be murdered, or who the murderer was to be.
Jordan Takes Stand
Jordan corroborated much of Mrs. Romo's testimony relative to the night previous to the fatal shooting, and the fight they had with Romo.
"I shoved him (Romo) with my foot," Jordan testified. "I guess I hit him in the face with my foot. He said, 'I'll kill her.' I said, 'Not in this car.' He had one hand on her throat, and one on me. I warded several of the blows off her. Then I tried to start the car."
Jordan said after Romo was shot, "he showed me where he was shot."
Other witnesses had testified that the horn was blowing during the fight. None had actually heard any shots fired. On a question from Deputy Weldon, Jordan denied he was blowing the horn "to drown out the shots."
Mrs. Lillian Mussell, in whose home Mrs. Romo lived, said she was awakened by someone calling for an ambulance. She said she discovered it was Mrs. Romo.
"I asked her what was wrong," Mrs. Mussell said. "She answered, 'I shot a man. I'll be back.'"
Runs to Residence
Mrs. Romo had run from the scene of the shooting to the Mussell residence, a block away.
Mrs. Julia Hannam, who lives near the sene, said she was awakened by Mrs. Romo's screams of "Take him to the hospital. Take him to the hospital!"
"I looked out of the upstairs window," she testified, "and I saw a woman (Mrs. Romo) shoving a man into a car. His feet were dangling out. There was another man (Jordan) behind the wheel. Then she got in the back seat."
Mrs. Hannam said the car moved about six or eight feet, then Mrs. Romo got out and said she was going to call an ambulance. Mrs. Hannam said Romo then fell out of the car onto the running board.
Richard Romo, a surviving brother, testified as to the deceased's age and other details. He said his brother had been in Santa Maria "off and on" for about nine years.
Surgeon Testifies
Dr. A.S. Missall, who conducted the autopsy, said Romo had died of a pulmonary hemorrhage. He said the bullet had entered Romo's left lung.
Miss Virginia Rivas and her father, Crescensio Rivas, said they appeared on the scene shortly after the shooting. They knew nothing of the shooting itself.
Undersheriff Jack Ross testified that in a discussion with Ray Pinker of Los Angeles, ballistics expert and forensic chemist, who examined the bullets, pistol and clothing worn by Romo when he was shot, Pinker had said that what appeared to be powder burns were found on a shirt worn by the deceased. Undersheriff Ross asserted Pinkert [sic] told him that powder burns would not be found if the pistol were fired more than six inches away.
Patrolman J.F. McDermott, who was called to the scene, told how he transported Romo to Santa Maria's hospital, where he later died.
Officer Testifies
Traffic Officer Charles Taylor gave measurements he had made of the car after the shooting. He located the part on the rear window where the first shot fired by Mrs. Romo crashed through.
Leslie Stonehart was called to the witness stand. He sid that he had been wrong in a statement previously made that he had seen Mrs. Romo in a downtown cafe early the morning of the shooting.
Requiem high mass for Romo, at first scheduled for this morning, will be said tomorrow morning instead, at 9 o'clock in St. Mary's Catholic church, with Father Thomas V. Murphy officiating. Rosary will be recited at 8 tonight in Dudley Mortuary. Interment will be in Santa Maria cemetery.
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