A chilling confession on live TV sparked a murder investigation in Hayward, California, that would go cold for nearly three years.
The alleged killer was Emmanuel Padilla-Maciel, 23, who was watching the true crime show 'Homicide Hunter' with his friend at a house where she lived alone. As retired homicide detective Joe Kenda described police evidence gathering techniques, Padilla-Maciel's behavior turned from ordinary to ominous. He became nervous and fidgety, prompting his friend to ask if something was wrong.
At that moment, Padilla-Maciel made the shocking confession: he had murdered a man named John "JJ" Creech Jr., who was wearing a red beanie on the day of the killing in December 2019. According to eyewitness accounts and police testimony, Padilla-Maciel claimed he killed Creech after his friend asked him to remove his red beanie.
Padilla-Maciel's alleged crime was linked to a gang rivalry involving blue and red colors. Authorities believe that Creech was not involved with any such gang but that Padilla-Maciel took offense to the color of Creech's hat, leading him to commit the heinous act.
The case initially received little attention from police, who began investigating as early as December 27, 2019, when they learned about Padilla-Maciel's possible involvement from a friend. However, detectives were transferred due to health issues, and new investigators took over, delaying further progress.
Only in 2023 did authorities close in on the suspect, arresting him at the southern border while returning from Mexico. The investigation was rekindled after two witnesses came forward with information that implicated Padilla-Maciel.
At his preliminary hearing, Padilla-Maciel's friend testified about the conversation that led to the confession. Another witness described a chaotic scene where Padilla-Maciel panicked and jumped into a car driven by the woman who had been watching 'Homicide Hunter' with him.
Padilla-Maciel is now awaiting trial, with his next court date scheduled for January. The case has left behind a legacy of unanswered questions for Creech's family and friends, who continue to seek justice for their loved one.
The alleged killer was Emmanuel Padilla-Maciel, 23, who was watching the true crime show 'Homicide Hunter' with his friend at a house where she lived alone. As retired homicide detective Joe Kenda described police evidence gathering techniques, Padilla-Maciel's behavior turned from ordinary to ominous. He became nervous and fidgety, prompting his friend to ask if something was wrong.
At that moment, Padilla-Maciel made the shocking confession: he had murdered a man named John "JJ" Creech Jr., who was wearing a red beanie on the day of the killing in December 2019. According to eyewitness accounts and police testimony, Padilla-Maciel claimed he killed Creech after his friend asked him to remove his red beanie.
Padilla-Maciel's alleged crime was linked to a gang rivalry involving blue and red colors. Authorities believe that Creech was not involved with any such gang but that Padilla-Maciel took offense to the color of Creech's hat, leading him to commit the heinous act.
The case initially received little attention from police, who began investigating as early as December 27, 2019, when they learned about Padilla-Maciel's possible involvement from a friend. However, detectives were transferred due to health issues, and new investigators took over, delaying further progress.
Only in 2023 did authorities close in on the suspect, arresting him at the southern border while returning from Mexico. The investigation was rekindled after two witnesses came forward with information that implicated Padilla-Maciel.
At his preliminary hearing, Padilla-Maciel's friend testified about the conversation that led to the confession. Another witness described a chaotic scene where Padilla-Maciel panicked and jumped into a car driven by the woman who had been watching 'Homicide Hunter' with him.
Padilla-Maciel is now awaiting trial, with his next court date scheduled for January. The case has left behind a legacy of unanswered questions for Creech's family and friends, who continue to seek justice for their loved one.
so this guy Emanuel Padilla-Maciel 23 confesses on live tv 2 his crime wif a friend watchin 2gether he says he killed some dude JJ Creech Jr cuz he didnt wanna remove his red beanie idk what's more sus - the fact he confessed live or that he did it over a hat lol 
anyway authorities think its linked 2 a gang rivalry but like, honestly who cares bout some stupid hat rn? what i'm tryin 2 say is wut r we doin as a society if we cant even figure out wht's goin on in our own backyards? shouldn't ppl b held accountable 4 their actions? anywayz, Padilla-Maciel's gettin trial & hopefully he gets the justice Creech's fam deserves 
I think it's really disturbing how the initial investigation was delayed due to detectives being transferred and new investigators taking over. It just goes to show how easily cases can fall through the cracks if resources aren't prioritized. In this case, Padilla-Maciel's confession came at a pretty critical moment - but what about all those months in between where he could've potentially planned something else? 
The fact that it took two witnesses coming forward to rekindle the investigation is also pretty telling - I guess you need a bit of push to get people moving on cases like this. Anyway, justice will hopefully be served for JJ Creech Jr.'s family and loved ones... 
and poor JJ Creech Jr., his family must be totally devastated. i feel so bad for them. anyway, i'm just glad justice is finally being served and Padilla-Maciel is facing the consequences of his actions 
. It's like, shouldn't police be able to pick up on red flags (no pun intended) when someone's acting suspiciously during a true crime show 
? The investigation was botched from the start, and it's unfair to Creech's family that they're still waiting for justice 
. Maybe they could get some answers at Padilla-Maciel's trial? Fingers crossed he gets what's coming to him 
. My heart goes out to John "JJ" Creech Jr.'s family, they must be living their worst nightmare for years now 
. I'm so glad the police finally closed in on him and arrested him at the border, that's like, justice served or something! Fingers crossed he gets a life sentence and finds some peace 
.
It just goes to show how our surroundings can influence us, and in this case, apparently, it influenced Padilla-Maciel enough to commit such a heinous crime. 
The detectives got transferred because of health issues and new ones came in, but they just sorta... dropped it. I guess that's what happens when you're dealing with a complex gang rivalry thing.
I need more info on that!
. This whole thing is just so frustrating, especially for Creech's family and friends who are still waiting for justice 
just watched this crazy vid on youtube about some dude confessing to murder live on tv while watching true crime show... like what even is that? 
. And what's with the color of JJ Creech Jr.'s hat being the reason for the murder? It just seems kinda...out there 
. I'm all for justice, but can't we get our priorities straight and focus on solving the case already? 
. Like, what even goes through that dude's head? Taking offense over someone wearing a hat? 
The investigation was all slow and sloppy too