Jailhouse Informant James Dean Cochrum Testifies in Multiple Orange County Murder Cases

Court records and a 1985 LA Times report describe James Dean Cochrum, an Orange County Jail inmate who informed on at least five fellow inmates, including Adolpho Aguirre and Elliott Beal, claiming to overhear confessions in separate murder cases. Jail informants testified in more than 100 major Orange County cases over five years.