White Man With Alleged White Supremacist Tattoo Arrested For The Murder Of His Black Coworker
A white man with a tattoo that some say is associated with white supremacy has been arrested for the murder of his Black coworker, who was found dead last week in California.
Last Friday, police in Santa Clara were responding to a report of a man with a bloody nose when they found an unresponsive man. The victim, who was later identified as Raynard Hyde, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers tried to revive him, reported Mercury News.
Although Hyde’s body did not have any obvious signs of trauma, gunshot wounds, or stabbing signs, detectives found his death suspicious enough to treat the investigation like a homicide.
“Investigators worked late into the night and through the weekend collecting evidence and interviewing friends and associates of the deceased,” the police department said in news release.
Eventually, detectives later learned Hyde was “in the company” of his co-worker, Gage Taren McCartney, before his death. McCartney worked at a Safeway supermarket where Hyde was a respected butcher.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office the found that Hyde’s cause of death was homicide.
On Tuesday, McCartney, 25, was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on a murder charge.
Hyde was well-known member of the Santa Clara community and his death shocked many residents. Hyde was a married father of three who was also known as a strong voice in the choir at Cathedral of Faith church in San Jose.
“The size of his voice matched the size of his heart,” the church’s director of operations, Kurt Foreman, told the Mercury News. “He loved his family. He loved serving at the church. He’s going to be deeply missed.”
Foreman said Hyde will be remembered for his big smile and booming voice.
“Ray was so beloved by so many people,” Foreman said. “It’s just tragic. This is just awful.”
Police did not indicate what position McCartney had at the supermarket and if he was associated with any white supremacist groups.