On Friday, December 6, 2024, detectives from the Newport Beach Police Department placed Michael
Larry Manatt of Huntington Beach under arrest for the murder of Ronald Gaskey, who was killed in his
Newport Beach home on December 13, 1983.
Gaskey, was a 35-year-old construction worker back in 1983, and he lived at the 400 block of Lugonia Street. His ex-girlfriend went to check on him when he failed to show up for work at a Hollywood construction site.
She found Gaskey lying face-down in a hallway of the second floor of his home. He had been struck on the head and face with an unknown object. An autopsy later concluded that Gaskey was hit once on the back of his head and as many as three times in the face.
Gaskey died about two hours after the beating had taken place. Police found a smear of blood on a door, but the house did not otherwise appear to be ransacked and there were no signs of a fight or a violent struggle.
His front door was found closed but unlocked by Gaskey’s ex-girlfriend when she arrived, according to the police. That was out of character for Gaskey who often spoke to friends and neighbors about his security concerns.
In 1983, NBPD detectives completed many interviews and collected evidence from the residence, though
detectives were unable to file charges on any suspect.
Over the past few years, the case was reopened and current NBPD detectives have diligently read through numerous reports, studied evidence, and completed additional interviews, which ultimately led to the identification of Michael Larry Manatt as a suspect in the murder.
NBPD detectives presented the case to a judge and obtained a warrant for Manatt’s arrest. Manatt was taken into custody without incident and booked at NBPD Jail.
The NBPD did not explain what the alleged motive for Gaskey’s murder might have been.
Anyone who may have further information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Detective Kyle
Markwald at 949-644-3762 or kmarkwald@nbpd.org.
Arrested: MICHAEL LARRY MANATT, Male White, 70-year old resident of Huntington Beach
- Arrested on suspicion of Murder – 187(a) PC
- Bail set at $1,000,000
