Sylmar man sentenced to prison for murder of his mother, uncle

LOS ANGELES - A Sylmar man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his mother and uncle. 

On November 28, 2021, around 8:30 a.m., officers responded to a home on the 12600 block of Amboy Avenue for a suicide investigation. Once on scene, officers met the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Marcel Gradvohl, who told officers he discovered his mother, Maureen Gradvohl, hanging from a rope in the garage. 

The woman was pronounced dead on the scene. 

During their investigation, detectives discovered that on November 26, Marcel was seen digging in the backyard. Detectives searched that area and quickly discovered a body in the yard.

According to a statement from LAPD, Marcel admitted to killing both his mother, Maureen Gradvohl and uncle, Edward Steckel.

The suspect told officials that on November 26, he shot and killed his uncle after a dispute then strangled his mother later that day. 

The following day he buried his uncle’s body in the backyard and staged his mother’s suicide. He was arrested the following day and booked for murder.  

On April 18, Marcel pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life plus one year, for the use of a rope in the commission of a murder; and 25 years to life, plus four years, for the use of a handgun in the commission of a murder.

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