Farrah Fawcett’s Son in Court Over Bloody LA Crime Spree

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The Trial: USA

Episode Title: Farrah Fawcett’s Son in Court Over Bloody LA Crime Spree
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Kayla Brantley
Guest: Marjorie Hernandez, Daily Mail West Coast Correspondent

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Main Theme

This episode explores the ongoing criminal case against Redmond O'Neal, the only son of Hollywood icons Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. Now 41, Redmond faces serious felony charges after a violent crime spree in Los Angeles in 2018. The episode delves into the details of the alleged attacks, the impact on the victims, Redmond's troubled life, mental health struggles, and the complexities shaping his current legal battle.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Nature of the Charges

• Timeline: Redmond O’Neal has been jailed since 2018 following a weeklong crime spree in LA, especially Venice and Palms.
• Charges:
  • Felony attempted murder
  • Three counts of assault with a deadly weapon
  • Second-degree robbery for a knife-point robbery at a 7-Eleven
  • Additional counts: battery, criminal threats, brandishing a knife, possession of heroin and meth
  • Special allegations: Certain crimes were allegedly committed "willfully, deliberately, and premeditatedly" ([02:54]).

2. Alleged Attacks and Victims

• Victim 1: Actor Kenneth Fox

  • Attacked while walking in Venice, struck in the face with a bottle, kicked while down, with Redmond allegedly shouting homophobic slurs ([04:20]).
  • Quote: “He claimed that Redmond O’Neal saw him walking in the Venice area and attacked him with a bottle... Redmond O’Neal allegedly started kicking him and also started essentially yelling homophobic slurs at him.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([04:20])

• Victim 2: Actor Seth Fulkerson

  • Attacked with a knife, stabbed at least five times, including in the carotid, skull, pectoral region (damaging lung and liver), resulting in months of hospital recovery and life-altering injuries ([05:09]).
  • Quote: “He ended up in the hospital for months... slashed in the carotid... stabbed around his pectoral muscle, and it was so deep that his lung and liver was punctured.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([05:09])

3. Long-Term Impact on Victims

• Both victims are no longer able to pursue acting careers due to their injuries and trauma.
  • “His life has been changed forever. He was an actor, and he can no longer act. He has seizures now because of the attack...” – Marjorie Hernandez on Seth Fulkerson ([05:57])

4. Redmond O'Neal: Personal Background and Downfall

• Raised amidst Hollywood privilege but marred by family trauma.

• Diagnosed in 2017 with schizophrenia, alcohol abuse, meth, and cocaine addiction ([07:14]).

• Tumultuous childhood, repeated treatment attempts by his mother Farrah Fawcett.

• Fractured relationship with father Ryan O’Neal, who also battled addiction ([07:14]).

  • Quote: “He actually gave an interview right after he got arrested back in 2018, and he said that he largely blamed everything that was happening to him due to his father.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([07:14])

• Multiple arrests on drug charges, including a DUI in 2008 involving both Redmond and his father ([10:06]).

  • Quote: “It’s no secret that Ryan O’Neal also dealt with his own drug addiction issues. And... Redmond had said in that 2018 jailhouse interview... what he had to grow up around... affected his own childhood.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([10:32])

5. Mental Health, Incarceration, and Conservatorship

• Since 2019, Redmond has been housed at Patton State Hospital, a psychiatric facility, for mental health treatment ([09:05]).
• Physical transformation noted: gained weight, new tattoos, apparent devil horn modifications ([14:23]).
• Quote: “I noticed immediately the horns on his forehead... it was quite shocking.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([14:23])
• Redmond's godmother, Mela Murphy, serves as his court-appointed conservator, managing his legal, health, and financial affairs due to his mental incapacity ([12:48], [13:36]).
  • Quote: "She's actually been deemed the court-appointed conservator... The court has deemed him unable to make his own mental health and financial decisions." – Marjorie Hernandez ([12:48])

6. Courtroom Observations and Hearing Developments

• Mela Murphy has been Redmond’s only regular supporter at hearings; no other family members present ([15:30]).
• Emotional moment: Redmond’s demeanor changed when seeing Mela in court ([14:44]).
• The recent hearing marks his return to criminal court after being ruled competent to stand trial ([16:05]).
  • The preliminary hearing is determining if there's enough evidence for a full trial, with the DA adding special allegations that elevate the severity ([16:05]-[16:58]).
  • Redmond entered a not guilty plea via his attorney; no insanity defense entered thus far ([17:39]).

7. What’s Next

• Upcoming: Testimony from a detective and a criminologist; victim Seth Fulkerson attended the hearing ([18:09]).
• Stakes: Redmond now faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted ([16:58]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The gravity of the attacks:

  • “He has seizures now because of the attack, and also he's unable to continue his career.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([05:57])

• Disintegration of a Hollywood legacy:

  • “When I saw him in the courtroom, he was a lot heavier ... he’s been taking medication, and that medication does cause some folks to gain weight.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([08:14])

• The impact of family dynamics:

  • “He actually gave an interview ... he said that he largely blamed everything that was happening to him due to his father.” – Marjorie Hernandez ([07:14])

• Courtroom emotion:

  • "He saw his godmother, Mela Murphy... His face lit up the moment he saw her...she was crying and dabbed tears from her eyes." – Marjorie Hernandez ([14:44])

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Timeline and Timestamps of Important Segments

• 02:54 – Full breakdown of charges and special allegations
• 04:20 – Testimony detailing the bottle attack and random nature
• 05:09 – Severe details of Fulkerson's stabbing and injuries
• 05:57 – Impact of attacks on victims
• 07:14 – Redmond’s mental health background and family relationships
• 09:05 – Details on hospitalization and medication
• 10:32 – Family’s history with addiction and shared court date
• 12:48 – Explanation of Redmond's conservatorship and role of Mela Murphy
• 14:23 – Observations on Redmond’s courtroom appearance
• 14:44 – Emotional moment between Redmond and his godmother
• 16:05 – Legal process: preliminary hearing and competency
• 16:58 – Possible life sentence if trial moves forward
• 17:39 – Redmond’s plea and next steps

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Episode Tone and Style

The conversation remains respectful, somber, and sensitive—balancing a journalistic investigation with empathy for those involved. Both Kayla Brantley and Marjorie Hernandez avoid sensationalism, emphasizing facts, personal transformations, and the ripple effects of trauma and addiction on all lives touched by this case.

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This episode offers critical insight into the sad evolution of Redmond O’Neal’s life—an untold story behind famous Hollywood faces—alongside detailed legal and personal context as a high-profile trial returns to the public eye.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

The Crime Desk Arresting Podcasts he's the

[Kayla Brantley]

son of one of Hollywood's most iconic stars, raised in the spotlight, surrounded by fame, privilege and tragedy. But today, Redmond o', Neill, the only child of Farrah Fawcett and Ryan o', Neal, is back in court facing charges that could put him behind bars for life. Prosecutors allege a shocking series of violent attacks across Los Angeles, including the brutal beatings of one man with a glass bottle and the stabbing of another, leaving him with life changing injuries. For years this case was on hold as questions swirled over o' Neill's mental state, his long history of addiction and whether he was even fit to stand trial. Now, after nearly a decade out of the public eye, he's been ruled competent to face justice. In today's episode, we speak to Daily Mail's west coast correspondent Marjorie Hernandez, who was in court for his preliminary hearing. From the Daily Mail, I'm Kayla Brantley. This is the Trial usa. We'll be back in just a moment.

[Podcast Host]

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[Kayla Brantley]

I'm joined now by Marjorie Hernandez, our West coast news editor. Marjorie, you were in court for the hearing for Redmond o'. Neal. Can we start from the top? This is the son of Farah Fo and actor Ryan o'. Neal. This is their Son, what has he been charged with? Start us out.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Redmond O' Neal has been in jail since 2018, and his charges stem from his week long crime spree in the LA area, the Venice area, and an area called Palms. He's facing one count of felony attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and second degree robbery. That's for the alleged knife point robbery of a 711 convenience store in the Palms area. Now, the prosecutors also alleged that he committed the attempted murder charge and the assault with a deadly weapon count with a special allegation that he committed those crimes willfully and deliberately and that they were premeditated. Now, he also faces other charges, including battery, making criminal threats, brandishing a knife, and also possession of heroin and meth. During his preliminary hearing last week, he actually was again read those charges. He is now facing his second amended complaint. And the prosecutors actually alleged that he committed the attempted murder charge and that assault charged with a deadly weapon with a special allegation they claimed that was committed was willful and was deliberate and premeditated.

[Kayla Brantley]

Can you talk us through the attacks? Who were these alleged victims and what did Redmond allegedly do to them?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

There was one actor who testified last week, actually via a court link. He was not actually present in the courtroom, but he provided a very powerful account as to what happened. And he claimed that Redmond o' Neal saw him walking in the Venice area and attacked him with a bottle and struck him in the face. And then once he fell down to the ground, Redmond o' Neill allegedly started kicking him and also started essentially yelling homophobic slurs at him.

[Kayla Brantley]

And this was a completely random attack, or did the alleged victim know Redmond

[Marjorie Hernandez]

from what Kenneth Fox said, he didn't know Redmond o', Neill, and so he believed it was a random attack.

[Kayla Brantley]

And can you talk us through the second alleged victim?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

The second victim actually testified in December 2025, and his name was Seth Fulkerson. Now, Seth Fulkerson actually had very serious critical injuries. He ended up in the hospital for months. Allegedly, Redmond had attacked him with a knife and stabbing him at least five times all over his body. And one of the wounds, he allegedly got slashed in the carotid. And one of the other knife wounds was in his skull area. And he also was stabbed around his pectoral muscle, and it was so deep that his lung and liver was punctured.

[Kayla Brantley]

These attacks happened eight years ago. How are these men doing now?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Well, it looks like Seth Fulkerson, he said in his testimony. We actually have transcripts of his testimony, he said that his life has been changed forever. He was an actor, and he can no longer act. He has seizures now because of the attack, and also he's unable to continue his career. Now, the other actor who also testified last week said because of his injuries, he's also unable to act now. And he's also had to relive some of, you know, just the terror that he allegedly experienced that night.

[Kayla Brantley]

Wow. I want to talk about Redmond o' Neal himself, what we know about him. You know, I saw the photos of him in court. He has tattoos on his face. He has two devil horns actually on his forehead. You know, he kind of gave this very menacing look in court when he was in that courtroom attire, shackled in his hands, tattoos up his arms. This is a man who came from two very famous parents. You have Farrah Fawcett, a Hollywood legend, and Ryan o', Neill, a very famous actor. What was the relationship like with Redmond and his parents, and how did he get to this point?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Well, in talking to some family friends, and namely his godmother, Mela Murphy, who's actually has been in court for, you know, as long as he's been arrested, she has kind of been the mainstay as a constant presence in his life. Bella had told me that Redman has had a very tumultuous childhood. He was diagnosed, actually, in 2017 with schizophrenia, alcohol abuse, as well as meth and cocaine use. Now, when he was a child, he was in and out of treatment as well. And from what Mela told me, Farrah Fawcett actually really tried hard to get treatment and help for her son. Now, his relationship with father Ryan o' Neill was very fractured. He actually gave an interview right after he got arrested back in 2018, and he said that he largely blamed everything that was happening him due to his father.

[Kayla Brantley]

Oh, wow.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

So it was really a fractured relationship. And I believe he also mentioned that he had been kicked out numerous times by his father. So by all accounts, he did not have a good relationship with his father. And Mela Murphy, his godmother, again, she was actually present in the courtroom when he appeared last week. And like you said, you know, he looks a lot different from when we last saw the mugshot in 2018. And that mugshot, he was very gaunt, skinny. He had some bruises on his face and his ear. But now when I saw him in the courtroom, he was a lot heavier. And when I spoke to Milla Murphy about that, she said he's been taking medication, and that medication does cause Some folks to gain weight.

[Kayla Brantley]

Do we know what kind of medication?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

We don't know specifically what kind of medication, but we do know that he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. So he is getting treatment there at the facility where he is right now, which is actually Patton State Hospital, which is a psychiatric facility in San Bernardino here in California. Earlier when he was arrested, he was in different facilities, but for the past three and a half years, he's actually been in a psychiatric facility where also other inmates are located who are also going through mental health issues.

[Kayla Brantley]

Yeah, and I'm just looking at photos, you know, from the early 2000s. You see Redmond, you know, with his parents, all of them smiling together at movie premieres, you know, one in 2001, another in 2003. And it really is a shame that, you know, now he is 41 years old, and this is the state that he's at. But he also was arrested in 2008 on drug charges. So this is not his first run in with the law.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Now, he's had, like you said, a lot of prior incidents, and that one, I think, was a DUI back in 2008. And he actually, I think around that year, he actually appeared in court with his father. There's a picture of them famously right next to each other in front of a judge, and they were facing drug charges charges that year.

[Kayla Brantley]

You're saying Ryan o' Neal was also facing the drug charges along with his son?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Yes.

[Kayla Brantley]

Can you explain that a bit?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

From my understanding, there was a check on Redmond, and when authorities went in there, they had found some drug paraphernalia, and Ryan o' Neal faced drug charges as well. So both father and son had to appear in court for those drug charges. And, you know, it's no secret that Ryan o' Neal also dealt with his own drug addiction issues. And that's been partly what Redmond had said in that 2018 jailhouse interview. He mentioned that the fame and all of that, the pressure of that, and also what he had to grow up around, which could be his father's drug addiction really affected his own childhood.

[Kayla Brantley]

We're taking a quick break after this.

[Podcast Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. Most all in one HR systems are a patchwork of disconnected and manual tools. Rippling is totally automated. If you promote an employee, Rippling can automatically handle necessary updates from payroll taxes and provisioning new app permissions to assigning required manager training. That's why Rippling is the 1 rated human capital management suite on G2, TrustRadius and Gartner. If you're ready to run the backbone of your business on one unified platform, head to rippling.com acastbiz and sign up today. That's RIP P-L-I-N-.com acastbiz to sign up

[Kayla Brantley]

Redmond is under a conservatorship. Can you talk a bit about that? Who is his conservator? What's their relationship? How long has he been under this conservatorship?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Sure. Actually I mentioned earlier Mela Murphy, who was actually Farrah Fawcett's hairdresser for many years, but also became a very, very good friend of Farrah's in the family and is also Redmond's godmother. So she's actually has been deemed the court appointed conservator for Redmond. And what that means is the court has deemed him unable to make his own mental health and financial decisions. So everything has to go through the court. And also Mela steps in and there's also a court appointed attorney that comes in and talks about everything related to his health, his well being, finances and all of that. So anything having to deal with health and finances has to go through the court. And Mela also gets involved with that.

[Kayla Brantley]

It's interesting because I feel like conservatorships became popular, at least well known, due to Britney Spears and her conservatorship. But Britney Spears is its own case. In here you can clearly see somebody who has been diagnosed with lots of health issues has been proven to have a very checkered past and really that's manifested as anger issues. Was he under this conservatorship at the time of these attacks?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

No, I believe the conservatorship was at least a year and a half ago or a year ago. So it's fairly recent. He was not under conservatorship when he was first arrested and when he allegedly committed these crimes back in 2018, you

[Kayla Brantley]

saw him with your own eyes in the courtroom. How did he appear? What was Redmond's demeanor?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

I mean, when he walked in again, I was expecting to See a skinnier Redmond, because all I remember is that mugshot. Right. And then when he comes in, in the jail garb, he had gained a lot of weight. And I noticed immediately the horns on his forehead, upper temple area. And to be quite honest, it was quite shocking.

[Kayla Brantley]

But is that something new? Did he get those horns in prison? Because I don't see them in his 2018 mugshot.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Right. We believe that it is new and he potentially got it in prison or at one of the facilities where he was at. Again, he's been at Patton State Hospital for the past three and a half years. But he. He also has a tattoo on his face, but he had that back in 2018. So the devil horns definitely is new. And it did give him quite more of a menacing look when he walked in. However, when he also walked in, he saw his godmother, Mela Murphy was in the audience, and it was like night and day. His face lit up the moment he saw her and met her eyes. And he mouthed high to her. And I looked back, and Mela's behind me. And Mela just was also very emotional. She was crying and she dabbed tears from her eyes. And they definitely have a very close bond. And again, she has been the person who has been there for him in every court hearing since 2018. Now, I've been following this case since 2018, and I have yet to see any of the family members there when I have been to court. But Mela has always been there from day one.

[Kayla Brantley]

What exactly was this hearing for? What is it going to set up for the future?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

So going back, he was charged back in 2018, but they had to pause the case because he was deemed not able to aid in his own defense. So then his case went to mental health court, and the mental health court judge then deemed that he again is incapable to stand trial in his criminal case. So essentially, that put a pause in his criminal case. And now last year, a Los Angeles judge deemed that he is again mentally competent to stand trial and to help in his own defense. So he's back in criminal court again. And last week was his preliminary hearing. And also last week, the DA's put on the special allegation to the murder charge. So with the new charges, he is facing a possibility of life in prison.

[Kayla Brantley]

Is he going to be deemed fit to go to trial and then will it actually reach that phase?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

He has been deemed fit to stand trial. And the preliminary hearing, essentially, we're hearing all the evidence from the victims and police officers, and I think there's going to be another expert next month when he appears back in court. Essentially, the DA Is putting up a case, and a judge has to determine whether there is enough evidence to move forward with an actual criminal trial. It's been there since 2018, but it's like we're starting from the very initial stages of this criminal trial.

[Kayla Brantley]

And did he speak at all in court?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

He did not accept. A judge asked him if he understood that he'd have to come back next month, and he said, yes, your honor, essentially. But he did have to enter a not guilty plea or he entered a not guilty plea, but that was done by his defense attorney, Dana Cole.

[Kayla Brantley]

Okay. And that was just not guilty. Not. Not guilty for reasons of insanity or anything like that?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

No, just not guilty.

[Kayla Brantley]

Okay. All right. And so looking forward next month, next

[Marjorie Hernandez]

month, it sounds like we're going to hear another detective who was on the case when he was arrested. And also they plan to have a, I believe, a criminologist testify. And Seth Fulkerson, the actor who was severely injured, almost critically injured, really, with a stab wound to his head and to his pectoral muscles. Interestingly enough, he actually appeared in court last week, but he sat in the audience. So he essentially came face to face with Redmond again. And the two obviously didn't talk to each other, but I, I saw Mr. Fulkerson keep his attention on Redmond the whole time. So kind of like intense when I sat in there, because, you know, you have this, this young man who's, he's 41 years old now, but you know he's gonna fight for his life. And you also have another young man who is alleged victim in the audience. So we'll see what happens next month, whether or not he actually moves forward with the trial.

[Kayla Brantley]

All right, well, thank you so much, Marjorie. So that's it for today. We'll be back next week with a new episode. The Trial USA is part of the Crime Desk. Subscribers can listen ad free, get early access to new shows, full access to the archive, and the member only podcast the trial. Plus visit thecrimedesk.com to find out more. A link is in the show Notes. Follow us on TikTok aileymailcrime and on Instagram thetrialpod. Leave a comment on Apple podcasts or Spotify or send us a Voice note on WhatsApp [phone] and 7. Start your message with the word trial.

[Podcast Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses. Monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds of Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.

[Kayla Brantley]

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[Marjorie Hernandez]

caller one wins courtside seats to tonight's game. What?

[Podcast Host]

I won floor seats. You?

[Marjorie Hernandez]

I've been calling for 13 months.

[Kayla Brantley]

Wait.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Chris.

[Podcast Host]

Yes.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

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[Kayla Brantley]

Don't want to stick out.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Exactly. They've got Chill Flex by Kenneth Cole, Joseph Abboud, and a tailor at every store for the perfect fit.

[Podcast Host]

Congrats. You can stop calling now.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Not a chance.

[Podcast Host]

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[Marjorie Hernandez]

Love the way you look.