Arrest made in quadruple homicide in San Francisco's Hayes Valley

Lyanne Melendez Image
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Arrest made in 2016 SF quadruple homicide
San Francisco police have arrested a suspect for the murders of four people, found shot to death in a car last January.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Four families have waited a year and a half for a sense of justice and a sense of closure. On Friday they got their first taste of both.

San Francisco police have arrested a suspect for the murders of four people found shot to death in a car last January.

RELATED: ONLY ON ABC7NEWS.COM: SFPD calls on witnesses to help solve quadruple murder

"The death penalty, we have to send a message that you can't go around killing each other," said the victim's mother Sala Chandler.

That's what one of the victim's mother said she wants for the man arrested for the murder of four young men. Police called Chandler and the other mothers Friday morning with a name, 27-year-old Lee Farley.

RELATED: SF community shocked after 4 men shot, killed

"The suspect was in custody at the federal prison in Atwater, Calif. he was arrested today from the prison in Atwater and transported to San Francisco. He's been booked in San Francisco County Jail and he's facing four charges of murder," said San Francisco police Sgt. Michael Andraychak.

A gang enhancement will also be added.

Farley has several prior convictions, including a 2007 charge for possession of cocaine, a 2010 charge of possession of a firearm and in 2012 charge for second degree burglary. According to court documents, Farley was in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. He was serving a 76-month sentence that started in April. The original criminal complaint in that case was filed nearly two weeks after the quadruple murder in San Francisco.

The shooting of the four young men occurred a year and a half ago in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Their car was doubled parked on Laguna Street. At the time, San Francisco police had reason to believe the killers were members of a Western Addition gang.

RELATED: Mother calls for SFPD to step up investigation after son killed

"Even though we've made an arrest, we always believe there are persons out that may have information that is relevant to the crime,"

Chandler's son Yalani Chinyamurindi was on his way to work when he recognized one of the young men in the car and asked for a ride. Police say it was a tragic mistake. Finding those involved has been a priority for the interim chief of police Tony Chaplin, who back then was the head of the homicide division.

"I can rest now because the message I left my son was, I was going to fight to the end for you son," Chandler said.

The suspect will make his first appearance in court on Monday.

San Francisco investigators hope anyone with information will come forward to help their case and possibly find else anyone connected to the crime.