Former Power Rangers Actor Is Facing Life In Prison Over Murder Charges

Life imitating art can be a wonderful thing in certain cases, but when it comes to swords and stabbing, art tends to be best left in the realm of the imagination. Former Power Rangers actor Ricardo Medina would undoubtedly agree. An incident from nearly a year ago that resulted in an allegation of murder has resurfaced, this time resulting in a charge for murder. If Medina is convicted, he could face 26 years up to life in prison.

According to a report from Deadline, Medina is being held in custody until arraignment on January 19. Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey is expected to ask for bail to be set at $1 million.

Medina got into a heated argument with his roommate Joshua Sutter back in late January of 2015 that resulted in Sutter being assaulted with a sword that Medina kept by his bedroom door. Although Medina reported the incident to the authorities of his own volition and Sutter was taken to the hospital, Sutter passed away due to his injuries.

This marks the second time that Medina was brought in by authorities for Joshua Sutter’s murder, but he was released in February of 2015 when the D.A.’s office chose not to charge at that juncture. I'm sure Medina was hoping that would be the end of the trouble; the charges that may now land him in prison for the rest of his life must be making him rethink his decisions on that night.

It is unfortunate for Medina that he will likely face a certain degree of spectacle with his case. His relative fame for his participation in the Power Rangers franchise has made his case one for the public to follow, and the fact that the murder weapon was a sword certainly doesn’t do much to quash curiosity.

Medina was only a Power Ranger for a single season in Power Rangers Wild Force in 2002. He played Red Lion Ranger Cole Evans. Although Cole’s weapon of choice was not a sword, Medina did pick up such a weapon for his second role in the Power Rangers franchise. Starting in 2011, he played a villain called Deker for two seasons on Power Rangers Samurai. Deker did in fact wield a sword during his time on the show.

At least it does explain why Medina would own a sword. Owning a sword is certainly not an excuse for stabbing somebody, but it does give a reasonable explanation why Medina had one in his possession.

Only time will tell if the 38-year old Medina will spend the rest of his life behind bars. If convicted, even the 26-year minimum would have to be devastating. Hopefully, due process of law is handled properly and justice is served. For a look at more news surrounded the Power Rangers franchise, check out our description of what the 2017 big screen venture will be about, and which characters will be featured.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).