Filmmaker killed: Death of killed filmmaker John Upton appears to be a “cruel twist of fate” since the filmmaker’s mother had died just hours before of cancer and John Upton had planned on moving away from the property on which he would lose his life over a dispute with a neighbor, reported San Diego’s 10News on March 29, 2013.
“In a cruel twist of fate, Upton's mother died of cancer hours before his brother's death.”
Michael Upton, who is 56-year-old filmmaker John Upton’s brother, said that his brother John had already planned on moving away from his property in Encinitas which is less than 30 miles north of San Diego to a new house in Fallbrook because of the trouble with the neighbor and "because this guy was a jerk."
When speaking about his brother John and his work as a filmmaker, Michael says that, "He was a good man. He saved a lot of kids. … Here's a guy who went into a communist country and basically didn't allow himself to get bullied by the government or corrupt people over there. And he took these kids who were crippled from birth defects from trying to be aborted, and brought them back to the United States to get medical care and get adopted."
Filmmaker John Upton’s documentary about the despicable conditions that Romanian orphans lived in resulted in the successful adoption of dozens of orphans, treatment for the children, and support by influential activists like Richard Branson and actress Jessica Lange.
On Thursday morning, shortly after 9 a.m., John Upton’s neighbor, 61-year-old Michael Vilkin, allegedly shot the filmmaker in the head over an ongoing dispute over some shrubbery or trees. Michael Vilkin owned the vacant lot next to the filmmaker’s house and according to John Upton’s brother Michael, "[He] wrapped a gun in his jacket and proceeded to bait my brother and pulled out the gun and shot [him] in the head."
According to San Diego County sheriff Lt. James Bolwerk, Michael Vilkin was arrested on suspicion of the murder of filmmaker John Upton who is the father of three children.
During a jail interview with San Diego’s 10News, Michael Vilkin said that John Upton had a gun on him when the fatal shooting occurred and that he was acting in self-defense. However, authorities have not confirmed the presence of another gun during the shooting.
According to the police, John Upton was found dead “lying on a dirt path between two sprawling homes.”
Michael Upton described his brother as a “fearless crusader” and as a man who was trying to make a difference in the world. The death of his brother and the death of his mother just hours before understandably make Thursday “the worst day of my life" as Michael Upton said.
“In a cruel twist of fate, Upton's mother died of cancer hours before his brother's death.”
Michael Upton, who is 56-year-old filmmaker John Upton’s brother, said that his brother John had already planned on moving away from his property in Encinitas which is less than 30 miles north of San Diego to a new house in Fallbrook because of the trouble with the neighbor and "because this guy was a jerk."
When speaking about his brother John and his work as a filmmaker, Michael says that, "He was a good man. He saved a lot of kids. … Here's a guy who went into a communist country and basically didn't allow himself to get bullied by the government or corrupt people over there. And he took these kids who were crippled from birth defects from trying to be aborted, and brought them back to the United States to get medical care and get adopted."
Filmmaker John Upton’s documentary about the despicable conditions that Romanian orphans lived in resulted in the successful adoption of dozens of orphans, treatment for the children, and support by influential activists like Richard Branson and actress Jessica Lange.
On Thursday morning, shortly after 9 a.m., John Upton’s neighbor, 61-year-old Michael Vilkin, allegedly shot the filmmaker in the head over an ongoing dispute over some shrubbery or trees. Michael Vilkin owned the vacant lot next to the filmmaker’s house and according to John Upton’s brother Michael, "[He] wrapped a gun in his jacket and proceeded to bait my brother and pulled out the gun and shot [him] in the head."
According to San Diego County sheriff Lt. James Bolwerk, Michael Vilkin was arrested on suspicion of the murder of filmmaker John Upton who is the father of three children.
During a jail interview with San Diego’s 10News, Michael Vilkin said that John Upton had a gun on him when the fatal shooting occurred and that he was acting in self-defense. However, authorities have not confirmed the presence of another gun during the shooting.
According to the police, John Upton was found dead “lying on a dirt path between two sprawling homes.”
Michael Upton described his brother as a “fearless crusader” and as a man who was trying to make a difference in the world. The death of his brother and the death of his mother just hours before understandably make Thursday “the worst day of my life" as Michael Upton said.