Thirty-two year old Angel Medrano from Earlimart was sentenced to fifty years-to-life today for the murder of sixteen-year-old Henry Cryder on October 6, 2002.

The murder took place at about 3:00 a.m. inside Henry Cryder’s home. Henry and his friends, Kenneth Williams, Charles Marshall and Beau Bramlett were sitting around the kitchen table in the back of the house. They heard a knock at the front window and saw Medrano. They let Medrano and his three friends into the kitchen and Medrano repeatedly asked Henry for some marijuana. Henry, however, ignored Medrano’s demands. Medrano became increasingly upset and started to call Henry names. Kenneth asked Medrano to leave Henry alone, stop “disrespecting the house” and just leave. Medrano’s three friends tried to calm him down. Medrano finally told Henry “I’ll be back.”

About 10-15 minutes later, Medrano snuck back into the house, came down the hallway, and fatally shot Henry in the back of the head. Medrano then came into the kitchen and shot Kenneth in the buttocks and again in the arm. Medrano ran out the back door and forced his friends by gunpoint to drive him to Bakersfield and then to Mexico, where he was dropped off in the mountains outside of Tijuana.

In March 2004, a year-and-half after the killing of Henry Cryder, Medrano was spotted by a Mexican police officer who recognized his tattoo, “Sniper,” on his forearm. Medrano was detained by the Mexican authorities and ultimately brought back to Tulare County by the Sheriff’s Office.

On September 17, 2009, Medrano pled to all the charges which included one count of first degree murder with the use of a firearm, three counts of attempted murder, one count of assault with a firearm and two counts of kidnapping. The following day, after the family of the victim were allowed to make victim impact statements, Medrano was sentenced to 50 years to life. Medarao will be eligible for his first parole hearing in 2059.

The case was investigated by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office; and prosecuted by Supervising Deputy District Attorney Janet Wise with assistance of Investigator Frank Arnold of the Tulare County District Attorney Bureau of Investigations.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney Don Gallian: (559) 733-6411