Murder of Steven Galvin is profiled on The Murder Tapes: Was Billy Mount the killer?

Steven Galvin was gunned down on the street in Clearlake, California, on July 2, 2015, in the middle of the afternoon. As paramedics were treating 40-year-old Galvin, a police officer asked him who had shot him.

“Um… a guy called Cyclops,” responded Galvin; a few hours later, he died in the hospital. A short time later, police arrested David Cox, who also went by the name Cyclops.

Cox admitted to police that he had argued with the victim that morning, which culminated in Galvin taking his cellphone and electronic tablet.

However, Cox vigorously denied any involvement with the murder. While being interrogated, he used water from a paper cup to write the name “Billy Mount.”

Suspicions turn to Billy Mount

Police initially arrested Cox, but then the investigation shifted to Billy Mount. A couple of witnesses came forward with evidence against him.

The first witness claimed that Mount told him he’d shot someone that day; however, this witness proved themselves unreliable when they later recounted their statement and said they were high on drugs.

Another witness came forward; Sean Whiteman told police he had offered Mount a lift in his truck in exchange for gas. Whiteman claimed that as they’d passed Galvin in the street, Mount had told him to pull over and then shot the victim. Whiteman also took investigators to a drain pipe where he allegedly showed them the murder weapon.

Mount, who already had five outstanding warrants, was arrested and was charged with Galvin’s murder. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison, with an additional 45 years plus enhancements, because the crime involved a firearm and was related to gangland activities.

There was bad blood between Cox and Mount. Both men had ties to the Barbarian Brotherhood gang, and there is a theory that Mount did the shooting for Cox to appease him.

Mount’s lawyer has remained adamant that authorities have the wrong man. The lawyer believes that it was Cox in the truck with Whiteman, he thinks Cox pulled the trigger and was then protected by those with gang connections.

More from The Murder Tapes

Follow the links to read about more deadly crimes profiled by The Murder Tapes. Garry James murdered Michelle Kinney in Iowa in 2018; friends found her nude body lying on the floor of a blood-splattered kitchen. James was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Another case profiled was that of Danielle Pruett, a 29-year-old mother of three, who was bashed to death and left in the woods. Shaun Matthew Wakefield came under suspicion right away, he was out on bail, and his electronic ankle bracelets had recorded his movements as he committed the murder.

The Murder Tapes airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.