Man convicted of murdering brother-in-law in Ventura County

A Ventura County man was sentenced to prison Thursday for the murder of his brother-in-law.

Elsworth Dennis Cadle, 71, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his brother-in-law, Mark Milton, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

In 2019, Cadle's ex-wife and daughter lived in Moorpark with his sister and brother-in-law, Milton.

By January 2020, Cadle's wife and daughter had moved into their own apartment.

They then rented a U-Haul truck to pick up their belongings at Cadle's apartment. They also recovered personal items from a public storage unit on Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark owned by Milton.

On January 3, 2020, Cadle walked past the storage unit where he spotted Milton around 2:20 p.m.

Cadle decided to rent a car before retrieving his gun and returning to the storage unit. There, he spotted Milton sitting in the driver's seat of the U-Haul truck.

That's when Cadle shot Milton in the head and fled the area, according to the prosecutor's office. Milton was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cadle was arrested several hours later by Ventura County deputies. The gun used in the killing was found in the center console of his rental car, authorities said.

“This is a heartbreaking incident for the family,” said Senior Assistant District Attorney Melissa Suttner, who prosecuted the case. “I hope that the important sentence handed down today will pave the way for the family to begin their healing.”

In May, Cadle pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of his brother-in-law with a special allegation of personal and intentional discharge of a firearm resulting in death.

“The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office did a tremendous job investigating this case and their efforts should not go unnoticed,” Suttner said. “This is a tragic case and now that the defendant has taken responsibility for killing his brother-in-law, the family can begin to heal.”