On Thursday (October 12), a Del Norte County Sheriff’s Department staff member was sent to the home of Deanna Esmaeel – a sheriff’s deputy for the department and the mother of Marty York (who played Alan ‘Yeah-Yeah’ McClennan in The Sandlot) – after she failed to show up to work earlier that morning.
When the staff member arrived at her home, they discovered her body and pronounced her dead at the scene. Her boyfriend, Daniel James Walter (who changed his name to Edward Patrick Davies in July) was named the primary suspect after he was seen in the area and a manhunt was initiated shortly after.
“Walter has connections to Curry County, Oregon. He drives a black 2010 Mazda 4-door sedan with California license plate 6JYD676,” Del Norte County Sheriff Garrett Scott said in an interview with the Wild Rivers Outpost. He also said he was wearing a beret-style hat, a white jacket, and blue jeans.
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Marty York took to Instagram on Friday night to confirm his mother’s death and confirm that the murderer is on the loose. He shared a photo of him alongside his mother and a photo of the press release from the sheriff’s department. His mother, Deanna Esmaeel, was sworn in as a sheriff’s deputy on March 19, 2021.
“This is the hardest post I’ll ever have to write but I found out from the sheriff department last night that my mother was murdered by a man she was seeing. The emotions I have are horrible right now between rage, vengance, crying,” he wrote in the caption of the post – asking his fanbase to keep their eyes open.
Del Norte County Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest Edward Patrick Davies
On Friday (Oct. 13) night, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Davies was taken into custody in Curry County, Oregon after Del Norte County Superior Court Judge Darren McElfresh issued a warrant for his arrest. They are in the process of booking him on first-degree murder charges.
‘Sandlot’ star Marty York’s mother found murdered — manhunt underway for the killer https://t.co/mrCS2yIxwU pic.twitter.com/IvMIDivhrW
— New York Post (@nypost) October 13, 2023
“We are all deeply heartbroken with the loss of Deputy Esmaeel. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and co-workers,” Garrett Scott said in a Facebook update. Deanna was ‘fulfilling a life goal’ when she joined the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Department – all she wanted to do was help people.
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Deanna Esmaeel is the mother of Marty York, who is best known for playing Alan ‘Yeah-Yeah McClennan in The Sandlot (1993). He also had credits in Boy Meets World (1993) and in several short films. He has received an outpouring of love and support ever since news of his mother’s death went viral on Friday.