A young Redding man who murdered a homeless man he didn’t know for no apparent reason in 2021 will never be free. 50-year-old Karl Lee Bernardo was in his tent in Linden Canyon below Mercy Hospital when then-19-year-old Alejandro Armstrong tried to lure him out. When that didn’t work, Armstrong opened fire, shooting Bernardo repeatedly with a high powered rifle and another gun. Redding Police used witnesses and surveillance footage to solve the crime. Armstrong pleaded guilty to first degree murder plus special allegations for lying in wait and using a firearm. On Friday he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 25 years. A statement by one of the victim’s daughters said she hopes Armstrong finds peace but also hopes that Karl Bernardo’s name never leaves his mind. The motive for the crime has never been clear.
-Steve Gibson