Man, two others held in slaying

A 35-year-old Long Beach man was arrested on suspicion of killing a woman in March 2020, and his mother and her boyfriend were arrested on suspicion of concealing evidence of the crime, authorities said Friday.

Brandon Michael Ritter and his mother, 53-yearold Jo Ann Ritter, were taken into custody at their home in the 1800 block of Termino Avenue Thursday, nearly one year after 44-year-old Terry Limas was found dead inside a home in North Long Beach, police said.

Jo Ann Ritter’s boyfriend, 57-year-old Morris Darnell Everett, was arrested near his home in the 1300 block of Taper Street, where Limas’ body was discovered, police said.

Everett and Limas were acquaintances and shared a home, spokeswoman Arantxa Chavarria said.

Brandon Ritter, who police said was in an intimate relationship with Limas, was accused of violently assaulting her inside the home on March 30, 2020. She was discovered dead by another resident who had returned home and called 911, police said.

Coroner’s officials ruled Limas died of combined effects of multiple traumatic injuries, smothering, traumatic asphyxia and methamphetamine. Her death was ruled a homicide in August.

A motive was not immediately disclosed.

Police said they planned to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for consideration next week.

Brandon Ritter was being held in jail on $2 million bail, while Jo Ann Ritter and Everett were being held on $1 million each, police said.