Billy Raymond Mount

This is one of those cases where while I was doing the research I went back and forth whether I believed the convicted person was guilty or not. I would read something and question whether the jury got it right and then I would read something else and be convinced that they were absolutely right in their decision. A few minutes later I would flip again. In the end I can only really tell you, the reader, what I found and let you decide what you think.

On the afternoon of July 2, 2015 a 911 call was made to the authorities in Clearlake California. A man had been shot while walking down the road in broad daylight. When officers arrived at the scene the man was still alive and the police officer turned on his body cam. The officer asked the man, Steven Galvin, who had shot him and he replied with the name “Cyclops.” The officer asked him a second time and again he said the same name. Galvin was taken to the hospital where he would soon die from his injuries, a gunshot wounds to the side and back.

Authorities knew who “Cyclops” was. He was a man by the name of David Cox and he was a member of a local skinhead/street gang. The gang he was associated with was called The Barbarian Brotherhood. It seems that Galvin himself may have also been part of the gang or at the very least very associated with members. Galvin went by the nickname T-Bone. Investigators picked up Cox and interviewed him. He denied being the person who shot Galvin. He did apparently admit that the two had argued earlier in the day. It was said that Galvin had stolen at least a tablet, if not also a cellphone, from Cox a few months prior to the shooting. Allegedly Galvin had promised to repay Cox but he not done so as of yet. While Cox was being interviewed and denying being involved in Galvin's shooting he took some water from a cup he had and in water, was said to have written the name “Billy Mount.” It was later said that Cox had an alibi and it was verified by investigators but a) I am unsure what that alibi was and b) I am unsure how they definitely confirmed it. So of course, after talking to Cox, investigators moved on to talking to Billy Mount. It appears that he too denied having anything to do with the murder but it was said that his alibi could not be confirmed and the investigation into Mount continued.

I have often heard investigators and prosecutors talk about how when they are investigating crimes that it is difficult to find “reliable” witnesses. Normal, every day citizens are often not the people who have “real” information when it comes to crimes. Criminals generally hang around criminals and they are notorious for lying. Even when suspects are “telling the truth” they tend to lessen their involvement in things. Investigators are usually forced to decide what to believe and what not to believe. I can only imagine that was especially true in this case considering so many of the individuals that investigators spoke to were also gang members.

In this case there were a few witnesses that were not involved in gang activity. People in the neighbor reported hearing gunshots and then seeing a white pickup truck leave the scene. At least one witness described the shooter and while it was said that no one officially identified Billy Mount as the shooter the description they gave did not seem to match David Cox. It was said that Cox had facial tattoos which would have helped identify him a bit easier, but the witnesses claimed the shooter did not have any tattoos on his face. The problem that I had with this identification was that while, yes, it may have eliminated Cox as the shooter, it did not necessarily say that it was Mount.

During the investigation authorities spoke to a man named Sean Whiteman. Now, considering the fact that it seems that Sean was associated with all of the other players in this case it is likely safe to assume that he too was a gang member. According to Whiteman's story he had been with Mount and Cox just hours before the shooting occurred and the two had an argument. Mount and Whiteman left in his white pickup truck. He claims they were driving around and Mount saw Galvin walking down the street and told him to first follow him and then pull over. Whiteman would later testify that when he pulled the truck over Mount hollered for Galvin to come over and as he did Mount shot him. As Galvin turned to run away Mount shot again and then told Whiteman to take off. Whiteman said that after the shooting he asked Mount why he had done that Mount replied that Galvin was a child molester. Whiteman also told investigators that they drove a little while and went to an area where Mount hid the gun that had been used. Whiteman took investigators to the area and the gun was retrieved. Shell casings were recovered from the gun, as well as from the scene of the shooting and compared. It was said there was a match.

Mount was arrested and charged with first degree murder, among other charges including those involving the use of a firearm and things involving gangs. David Cox was given immunity for his testimony. He admitted to the issues that he had with Galvin. He also testified that he told another gang member it was “boots down” with Galvin and that meant that the other members were to “stick up” for him. Prosecutors would say that it was possible that Mount had shot Galvin to appease Cox but maintained their belief that Cox was not involved in the shooting in any way. They argued that despite Galvin saying Cyclops had shot him that he had not actually seen the shooter. I will get into my feelings on this in a bit.

The jury would acquit Mount on the first degree murder charges, but they did find him guilty for second degree murder. That indicates to me that they may have believed the idea that Mount had shot Galvin for Cox. It also makes me wonder if they believed Cox had encouraged the shooting or even “ordered” it. Mount was also found guilty of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, willfully and maliciously discharging a firearm from a vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, intentional discharge of a firearm causing death and acting in the commission of a crime for the benefit of criminal street gang. I was a bit confused when reading his sentence. It stated Mount received “seventeen years in state prison and an additional 45 years to life for second degree murder plus the enhancements” (these included for the firearm and the gang related things). In 2019 an appeal was filed and a few of the enhancements were removed but the conviction was affirmed. According to the California Department of Corrections website he is eligible for parole in the year 2040.

After the conviction Mount's lawyer proclaimed that they got the wrong man. His lawyer continued to argue that Galvin had named David Cox as his shooter, and so it must have been true. There had been testimony that Galvin had all but been told to stay off the road and out of the area he was ultimately shot in and he had commented to someone that messing with one member was like messing with all members. I do not buy the prosecution theory that Galvin did not see his shooter, hence named David Cox without seeing his face. I am a bit insulted that the prosecution felt the jury would believe this and took this line in their theory. If you believe the witness, Sean Whiteman, Mount called Galvin over to the vehicle. If you believe other witnesses Galvin was at least a bit fearful and would have been cautious at least in some manner in watching his own back. So, I absolutely believe Galvin saw exactly who shot him. Does that mean I think it was David Cox? No. I feel as if Galvin could have just as easily believed that Cox was behind the shooting hence why he named him.

In the same respect do I believe Mount was the shooter? There is a part of me that says yes, he was. Then there is a part of me that says there is a possibility that it was not Mount who did the shooting. David Cox seemed to obviously be very influential in his gang and ordered, demanded or expected the other members to stick by him. It was already said that hours before the shooting Cox and Mount had an argument. Could it be that someone else shot Galvin and Mount was set up to take the fall? Could Sean Whiteman lied and said he was with Mount and take investigators to the gun and Mount not actually be there? Absolutely. He could have been convicted on the word of another gang member. I did not hear about any fingerprints on the gun to prove that Mount had that gun in his possession. It is also completely possible that when Cox and Mount had the argument earlier in the day Cox “ordered” Mount to take care of Galvin to make amends with him. This would mean that yes, Mount was the shooter, but it would also mean that Cox should have faced charges. I find it horribly convenient that first Cox named Mount in his initial interview and secondly that Cox was granted immunity to testify against Mount.

Simply put I am unsure that if Mount was truly the shooter that he did so on his own accord. I am almost certain there should have been others charged.