Those who knew them said Bradley Tolivar and his son Casey got along well enough. They shared an orange-colored home with a tall hedge off La Cumbre Road.
Bradley, 72, lived in the main house and Casey, 29 at the time, occupied a two-bedroom unit at the back of the property. There had been no outward signs of trouble.
But there were hidden warnings. Casey had been arrested twice since 2012 for dealing methamphetamine out of his granny flat. He served jail time in both cases with enhancements on his record that he sold the drugs near a school. He didn’t have a job and rarely went out.
On July 15, 2021, Santa Barbara police responded to a horrific scene. A worried family friend, who couldn’t reach Bradley and had stopped by the Tolivers’ house to check on him, was outside, bleeding from the head. He told officers Casey attacked him with a rock.
Inside the house, police discovered Bradley dead in his bed. His face was smashed in. A forensics team estimated he had been killed as many as five days prior. The murder weapon ― a three-foot-long steel bar ― lay nearby.
Casey refused to talk to detectives, who described his demeanor as “laconic.” To this day, he has not offered authorities any explanation for killing his father. He was booked in county jail without bail and has been there since.
Despite his rap sheet for drug offenses, Casey had no documented history of violence. His defense attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
On Tuesday, District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced Casey Tolivar pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is expected to be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
“Thank you to the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s personnel for dealing with the difficult circumstances of the crime scene,” said Savrnoch, who also thanked senior prosecutors Kevin Weichbrod and Casey Nelson “for their work in holding this dangerous individual accountable for his actions.”
Sentencing is scheduled for February 28 in front of Judge Von Deroian.
