Henri Tomei, 64 and of French descent, was murdered on November 2, 1972, inside St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Los Gatos. Tomei served as an assistant pastor and was attacked in the confessional in the early evening after he had entered the church to see if parishioners were present for confession. A female parishioner witnessed the assailant kicking Tomei and ran to summon another priest; Tomei was found motionless and was pronounced dead at Los Gatos Community Hospital.

The assailant was described as a young Caucasian male about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall. The attack involved stabbing, kicking, and beating, and Tomei bled to death across the threshold of the confessional booth. No murder weapon or clear escape route was reported, and investigators at first struggled to determine a motive.

Later investigation linked the killing to Herbert Mullin, who reportedly went to the church to confess and, in a delusional state, convinced himself Tomei was to be a sacrificial victim. The murder shocked the local community and Tomei’s funeral was held at St. Mary’s. Does anyone have memories of that evening or information about Tomei’s life at the parish?