The Victims

Since I am no longer using a pseudonym for Daniel, I feel that it’s only appropriate to stop using pseudonyms for the victims.

Daniel Wozniak is accused of the cold and calculated murders of two college students.

In my early posts, I used pseudonyms for Daniel and for his alleged victims. I called them “The Vet” and “Tutor Girl.”

“The Vet”

Daniel and “The Vet” were neighbors. They lived in the same apartment complex in Costa Mesa, California. The police believe that Daniel murdered “The Vet” in order to clean out his bank account.  Daniel is also accused of murdering a young woman who was a friend and tutor of “The Vet” in order to throw off the police.

“The Vet” was Samuel E. Herr. He was 26. He was an only child. He was an Army veteran who had been a combat solider in Afghanistan. He was going to Orange Coast College on the Army GI Bill and had plans to one day become an officer.

Samuel Herr and Juri Kibuishi

“Tutor Girl”

“Tutor Girl” was Juri (Julie) Kibuishi. She was 23. She was a graduate of OSCA (the Orange County School of the Arts). She was a student at Orange Coast College studying fashion design. She was also tutoring her friend Sam in anthropology. Julie was one of four children and is always described as a the kind of person who would do anything for a friend.

Close To Home

My child is a student at OSCA. I went to Orange Coast College.  I once lived in an apartment complex in Costa Mesa.  It’s all so familiar.

I don’t know if my blog will ever be read by friends or family members of Sam and Julie. The idea of it makes me nervous. I think about them a lot. My heart breaks for their families.

I try to “put myself in their shoes.” It’s impossible. Truthfully, I don’t want to think about losing a loved one… especially a child.

I see photographs of Sam’s and Julie’s parents, and the agony on their faces is plain to see.

I’ve read that Julie’s father, Masa Kibuishi, has cancer. His daughter was murdered five years ago and he wants to live long enough to see justice done.

Steve Herr, Sam’s father, has actually visited Daniel in jail a couple of times. He says he wants to know what happened to his son. He wants to understand.

Both families have said that they want Daniel Wozniak to get the death penalty.

I’m guessing they wouldn’t like me very much. Not that I would blame them. I am his friend. I try to show a human side to Daniel. I question if he’s even a murderer.

Does that make me crazy?  Naïve?

No matter what Daniel Wozniak may have done, I don’t believe he should die for it.

I understand why the families of the victims do, though.

What Do You Guys Think?

Let me know by leaving a comment… and keep reading the blog to see me question myself regularly…

17 thoughts on “The Victims”

  1. Hi…I value your loyalty to your friend in his time of trouble, most people have no loyalty and disrespect such things.

    I hate to say it, but, there is a very good chance that your friend Daniel was the guilty party. It happens you know. But, to be honest, the story they have created to explain it all sound a bit doubtful to me…

    They say he wanted to rob his neighbor of 50,000 dollars and killed his friend to cover it up. Maybe…it would be unfortunate if it was true, since it would be rather mean of him you know…however, there does exist the possibility that he didn’t do it at all…it is actually more likely that someone else killed the two of them…probably for no reason at all…except murder.

    Anyway, I found you on google and I wanted to reach out to you for no other reason than my own selfish desire for revenge upon someone else….my brother…Matt Murphy.

    My brother is the asshole lying sack of shit prosecutor who is presenting the case against your friend…

    I hate my brother.

    He is a liar who does manufacture evidence to get convictions and is a special piece of shit.

    I have my own problems, but my brother met with my mentally ill ex-wife back in 2010 with my crazy sister and my crazy mother…they talked about taking my son from her…she wanted to give up our child to them…but, I was in the way…so my brother suggested a complicated plot to use the LAPD to create a situation in which the outcome was guaranteed…

    She forgot I wasn’t at the meeting and complained to me of my brother being an asshole. She had never met him, yet described him so perfectly, I was quite horrified you know.

    It got much worse though…the “imaginary plot” of my crazy ex-wife came to fucking pass exactly the way she said it would.

    I got my son back…it took 15 months and I pulled every card I ever had.

    My brother committed a major felony…at least according to the FBI, who are currently investigating that fucking cocksucker.

    He committed three crimes actually;

    1) Felony conspiracy to commit kidnapping,

    2) Public corruption, (you know, since he used his connections to make it all happen)

    3) Accessory after the fact to an actual kidnapping. ( A Death penalty offence under Federal United States laws.)

    Well…sorry for my mad ranting…

    Thank you for supporting your friend, even if he’s guilty.

    1. Hi Andrew,

      Thank you so much for reading the blog. I really appreciate your insightful comments (even if revenge was your motivator). I have read postings from you on other sites and I can’t help finding it interesting that Matt Murphy’s own brother thinks he is a devious liar. Well, it will be interesting to see what happens with all the corruption allegations being brought out by Daniel’s lawyer, Public Defender Scott Sanders. I hope you’ll continue to follow the blog and I look forward to any “mad ranting” you do in the future.

  2. Daniel is my friend too. We all wish him the best.

    On the bright side, I will add that the looming possibility of a death sentence isn’t quite something anyone should be worrying about:

    Statistically you’re more likely to survive being struck by lightning…. only before being crushed in a stampede of loose rhinoceros(s?) then to die from the imposition of the Death penalty in California these days.

    1. 2016: The death penalty in California is life in prison by default .
      It is a sad current state of affairs for this once grand federal territory .

  3. It appears clear to me that Daniel committed this crime- why would he admit it on camera if he didn’t do it?!

    I don’t know about the integrity of the prosecutor – it gets me mad that lawyers argue and use cases to prove a point that is unrelated to a crime, and that grieving families have to sit and wait for the slow wheels of justice to turn, praying that they will indeed get justice for their loved ones!

    Seriously now- Daniel is at the very least a sociopath. He appears to have no sense of regret or responsibility . Certainly a personality disorder is a very clear factor. I wouldn’t want him anywhere near any of my children and I am glad that I am the others side of the pond in the Uk! To me, lifelong incarceration without possibility of parole is a far worse punishment than death. Unfortunately in the UK, life often doesn’t mean life however.

    As for Rachel Buffet I have been unable to find enough about her role in this to decide whether she is guilty or not. It seems absolutely not from the phone call with Daniel, yet she told colleagues at the theatre that Julie was missing, feared dead, 5 hours before she was even at the apartment? If that is true, she can’t possibly explain that away!

    I pray for justice for the families of the two innocent victims. A truly shocking and heartbreaking case and ine I will not forget in a hurry.

  4. A young man gets sent into combat to come home to the US physically fine but finds he is still at war with himself struggling with his night terrors. While it must have been a horrific issue for him at least he was able to have the opportunity to try & work thru the anguish of combat. I find no humor in this case and I’m appalled that you, or people that leave messages on your site, find that it’s a perfect vehicle for ridiculous attempts at writing “clever” comments. Your friend murdered two people at the beginning of their adult lives who had already proven they were going to be productive people in their community. Where as your murderous friend’s complete contemptuous disregard for his “friends” lives so HE could enjoy an extravagant wedding & honeymoon is beyond shocking. Our court system is the only joke in this entire story! Tell me how errors the prosecution made in paperwork should even be considered reason enough to get the conviction overturned? If so, make sure your friendly scum bag thinks your a pauper otherwise YOU may find yourself in the rafters of a theater with two bullets in your head only to get hacked up into pieces, but if you do, at least it will give your friend another opportunity when detectives ask why he did it again to laugh and say, “I don’t know why I cut them up” *LOL* because it really is something to laugh & slap your knee about! I too am a proud US Veteran and I am beyond appalled to see a combat Veteran come home physically unscathed only to have his “friend” kill him so he could take his combat pay to use for his own greedy needs. Then the Veteran’s “sister” friend is killed simply as a pawn so this scum can try to write & weave a tale to cover his tracks. Forgive me when I pass on the chance to give him a standing ovation. They can’t push the lethal drugs or have him inhale the deadly gas fast enough so we can eliminate this scum and your ridiculous website. You would be better served to honor those that lost their lives at the hands of your “friend” than to continue to show support for this contemptuous killer, let him waste his last breath laughing at that!

    1. I totally agree with you Ted Rose. Totally!!!! My heart hurts for these two families, especially Sams who have no other children!!!! In saying that I feel so terribly sorry for the girks family also because other siblings don’t make up for the one that has lost her life in such a horrible way. Maybe in this case the siblings give the parents a reason to live. It’s Rediculous that they have no closure If this hasn’t been resolved yet.

  5. Well said, Ted Rose. I’m going to add that those that received the death penalty in California will more then likely never die at the prisons hands. But I’m all for keeping it because it’s a lot more torturous to have to live like that in prison as opposed to those that received life. @Andrew Ian Murphy: you’re the classic case of “everyone’s against me in life.”If your mom, sister, brother, and ex-wife are all the “enemies” then It’s you who is the problem. You’re so bitter and sound ridiculous and crazy with your rants. Just stfu!! As far as being a friend of Daniel….good for you if you know who the real Daniel is, blah blah blah. You’re going to overlook the heinous things he did by saying “oh, but he’s a great guy.” Spare me. He probably WAS a great guy whom you though for sure you knew well. I guess you didn’t have as much money as Sam, because I’m sure your “friend” wouldn’t have considered you, huh?

    1. Overlook? No way. I’m trying to understand.

      As far as my finances are concerned, you haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.

      In terms of my friendship with Daniel before his incarceration, please see my reply to Sarah Baily. Thank you for reading.

  6. Several observations. First, good for your personal loyalty. To me one of the very most important virtues. I support you and your efforts although I do not have much good to say about Mr. Wozniak.

    Frankly — assuming any part of the Dateline production was true — I do not have much good to say about many of the young people involved. I found it interesting that young Mr. Herr had been charged in another murder. Did that go to trial? Weird, if you ask me — which brings several other questions not appropriate for this post. Also, he wasn’t “sent” to war. He volunteered. To many in our culture that confers automatic hero status — along with being a cop, or wanting to be a cop. I remain unsure. Likewise, Ms. Buffett seemed like a real airhead. Mr. Wozniac’s brother likewise. The pitiful moron with the skateboard also appeared a little spavined in the morals. Not a medical student, or CPA candidate, or Little Sister of the Poor, or fire fighter, or jet pilot in the whole bunch. Sorry, I’m an old man with high standards in the youth department. Probably unfairly so.

    I have nothing but sorrow and can only offer prayers for Mr. Herr’s father and for the very lovely family of Miss Kibuishi. Unfortunately killing Mr. Wozniak will not, I fear, bring them much peace — not that his execution is much of a possibility.

    As for the “the asshole lying sack of shit prosecutor.” Don’t you understand (almost) ALL prosecutors are “asshole lying sacks of shit” who fabricate evidence. Cops as well. THAT’s what they do! I actually thought Mr. Murphy sounded pretty smart — which is EXTREMELY unusual for an “asshole lying sack of shit prosecutor.” He was certainly handsome, although I would counsel him to lose the tie bar — too “1950s.”

    The thing I get up thinking about in the night is the question, “where do these people come from.” “These people” being folks who think they “need” $60,000 — or any amount of money, or anything else, including chuckles — badly enough to kill somebody’s precious child. Where did that world view come from? Who dropped the ball properly socializing Mr. Wozniac? Ms. Buffett (I think she should get a death sentence for screwing Mr. Wozniac, as obviously shallow and demented as he seemed).

    As for the death penalty. I love it although I do not necessarily want to see it imposed. It’s great for the criminal defense bar and for the corrections industry. Puts lots of people to work and almost never results in death. I’m a full employment for lawyers and prison guards kind of guy.

    Thanks for your thoughtful blog and good luck.

    1. Thank you for leaving a comment and for reading the blog. I completely understand a need to question how Daniel turned into someone who would murder. Especially since he appeared to have many advantages growing up.

      I am curious about the quote you used:

      ALL prosecutors are “asshole lying sacks of shit” who fabricate evidence.

      I’ve never written anything like that about Matt Murphy or any prosecutor, so I’m not sure where you are finding this quote. I just want to make sure the readers know that you are not quoting me or my blog with that statement.

      1. He read that in the comment left by the DAs brother Mark Murphy

        Andrew Murphy left the first comment on this blog

  7. I know Daniel was convicted, but I must tell you that your unbiased, well written& compelling blog of a young man named Daniel, is very moving. I appreciate that you are a writer/investigative blogger who still cares about one of the most precious rights we have, next to freedom of speech, which was the right to be considered innocent UNTIL proven guilty. I appreciate you writing about the human side of Daniel because how in the world can we help those are who hurting( because hurt people, hurt people) if we dont know what caused it to begin with? Also, we need to constantly question authority, especially those who can easily take those very precious rights away from news. Practically all of the mainstream “news” articles are lies, embellished or biased & I now solely rely on bloggers like yourself to give me at least the maj of the truth.
    God bless you& keep doing what you’re doing.

    1. “Unbiased”? Hardly, lol!

      Look from the beginning, and it is quite apparent he is manipulating this blogger and that he is every bit the sick, demented sociopath the “mainstream media” portray him to be.

      They’re not *always* wrong, *just* because they’re “mainstream”.

  8. I’ve just started reading your blog a week or so ago and so far I’m pretty impressed. I specifically sought info on Daniel after seeing him profiles on *Lock Up—Extended Stay*. I could tell, from what I saw, that Daniel is very intelligent; I could also tell he’s very manipulative. I wonder if that’s the actor in him, or if he’s a good actor because he has the ability to manipulate an audience—any audience—into believing in whatever role he plays.

    I’m sure you’ve seen the episode, given your Netflix subscription, keen interest in true crime (just like me!) and connection to Daniel. I presume he was being a bit playful when he gave puppy-dog eyes to the camera and explained “I’m a nice guy…ask just about anyone who knows me. I like long walks on the beach. I’m an Aries.” et al. While he seemed to be a bit playful, I also couldn’t help but wonder if he thinks people are buying the act, or if he knows most can see through it and therefor he’s just having a little fun. I don’t know if you’ll be addressing that further on, and if not, I’m interested in your take on his segment.

  9. What gets me about this blog is the sheer and utter disrespect for the victims. Even in this post you still just call them “vet” and “tutor girl.”
    You show more respect and graciousness to this convicted self-admitted murderer than you do his victims.
    How do you sleep at night?
    I said it before and I’ll say it again: shame on you.

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