Men Found Executed in Avocado Grove Identified

The two men found slain, execution-style, in a Duarte avocado grove over the weekend were identified Monday by authorities as Keith C. Thomas, 30, and Daniel J. Chapman, 27, both of Los Angeles.

The men, handcuffed and shot in the head, were discovered at 2:30 p.m. Saturday lying in the back of a Ford Explorer by a caretaker. The vehicle was partially hidden by an avocado tree in a grove on 41 acres in a secluded, residential neighborhood near Los Lomas Road and Sunnydale Drive.

Sheriff’s Lt. Frank Merriman said the men were in the van for at least a day before they were found. One of the men had rented the van in Seattle, Merriman said. Investigators are still searching for the weapon and a motive, he said.