LA County family files legal claim after fallen tree branch killed their son

The family of the 8-year-old boy killed by a fallen tree branch in the Santa Monica Mountains filed a legal claim alleging negligence against the owners and operators of King Gillette Ranch.

Lamar McGlothurn, 8, was attending Camp Wildcraft in July when a branch from a decaying tree fell onto their picnic tables. Attorney Robert Glassman, who is representing the 8-year-old's family, said McGlothurn's parents watched as the 100-pound tree branch fell directly onto their son. 

"This tree branch crushed Lamar to death in front of his mom and dad," Glassman said. "They were trying to lift it off of him, but because it was so heavy, they couldn't, and they just had to sit there helplessly, watch their beautiful boy die as a result of this tree branch that fell on him."

CBS LA's Hunter Sowards uncovered text and emails from the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which operates King Gillette Ranch, that showed staff requesting the removal of "a branch that snapped and was resting on a lower branch" on July 2. A day later, July 3, an employee wrote an email that read in part, "don't know if this limb cracking has anything to do with the health of the tree."

Six days later, on July 9, another branch fell onto picnic tables and hurt several people and killed McGlothurn.

"The people who were in charge of making sure that this camp was safe, that this area was safe, knew that this tree was a problem," Glassman said. 

CBS LA compared images of the damaged tree from July 2 and the tree at the heart of the deadly incident. The two trees appear to be the same based on their limb structure and decay patterns on the trunk. 

"The MRCA will review the claim and complaint and respond at the appropriate time through the legal process. From day one, the MRCA has been committed to a full, thorough, and transparent inquiry, with a proposed action plan to ensure that a tragedy like this never occurs again. That investigation remains open and ongoing, and the MRCA continues to cooperate fully with all parties involved," MRCA wrote in a statement.

In addition to MRCA, the legal claim names the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Camp Wildcraft and its owners, Shari Davis and Benny Ferdman, as well as Gomez Landscape & Tree Care.

A legal claim is a precursor to a lawsuit against the government.