Shooting victim’s family speaks out

Orange County Sheriff’s Investigators believe the white Lexus sedan owned by Elizabeth Palmer, one of the two victims of a double slaying in Stanton on Feb. 2, could be a key to solving the crime. Other than that, leads are few and no suspects have been arrested, authorities said.

Palmer, 49, Fountain Valley, and Matthew Scott, 42, Costa Mesa, were found shot to death inside the sales office of a manufactured home dealership where they both worked. Authorities said that there were no signs of a struggle, but would not release information about how many shots were fired or how many guns were used.

Robbery was most likely not the cause of the attack, though, said the sheriff’s lead investigator Joe Hoskins, because the business wasn’t the type that would keep a lot of cash on hand. The killings were likely “targeted,” not random, he added.

“The coldness and brazen attitude of the killers was such that in a daylight scenario like this it’s very disturbing,” Hoskins said.

Scott’s father is a part owner of the dealership, Golden Sun Homes, and Palmer was a secretary there for about 15 years. Matthew Scott had no children of his own, but his family was a “tight-knit” group, Hoskins said.

Palmer’s family members joined Hoskins at a news conference Wednesday morning to plead for the public’s help in finding the culprits. Scott’s family did not attend.

“They prefer to grieve in privacy right now,” Hoskins said.

Palmer’s stepdaughter, Linda, and husband, Richard, both said that Elizabeth never expressed any concerns about danger in the workplace. Shortly before the incident, Richard said he responded to a text message from his wife with a phone call and nothing seemed unusual.

“It was just a normal boring day at work before the shooting,” Richard Palmer said.

Linda described her stepmother as the type of woman who was generous to a fault and that she and her father had a “once in a lifetime marriage.” Hoskins and the family said it was likely that Elizabeth was an unfortunate bystander in the shooting.

“She was a wonderful lady and it’s tragic that this happened,” Linda Palmer said, tears coming to her eyes. “She was my mother as much as my birth mother is ....Obviously the person who did it has no conscience or regard for life.”

The missing vehicle is a 2004 white Lexus ES300 with license plate 5FYP194 and it’s the only lead investigators were willing to disclose.

“I wouldn’t say [the trail] is completely cold, but we do need some help,” Hoskins said.

Anyone who has any information about the crime should call the Sheriff’s Department at (866) 847-6273.

Reporter ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.