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They Called Him Jeeves

Richard Palmer worked with Brendan for a year and a half, five days a week, in the same little room with another co-worker. They worked the same hours, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. They set up appointments with customers by phone for the Carlsbad company NTN Buzztime.

Although Brendan “tended to keep more to himself,” Richard said he is a talker, so he would try to draw out Brendan in conversation.

The coworkers both found Brendan “very intelligent,” in fact they gave him the nickname “Jeeves” – after the search engine "Ask Jeeves," which is named after P.G. Wodehouse's near omniscient butler character. They said they could ask Brendan a question on any topic and he would have an answer.

And then there were the “rants.” Especially after he had been looking at his cell phone, Brendan would make swearing outbursts which began as low mumbling then got louder. “It appeared he was reading news articles.” What would he rant about? “Usually about God and fags -- his words.” Brendan especially hated priests. And he hated homosexuals, saying they all should die. Richard said the outbursts would happen at least three times a day.

But if Brendan was in the middle of a “rant” he could instantly switch it off when his work phone rang. “He would answer the phone in a professional manner.” Richard said he did find this “odd.”

Another little quirk about Brendan -- if they said “God bless you” to Brendan, for example when he sneezed, Brendan would reply, “How dare you say that to me” and “Don’t say that to me,” according to Richard.

Richard was stunned to hear about Brendan’s arrest in October of 2010. “I was in disbelief. I didn’t think he could have done it.”

Brendan Liam O’Rourke, 42, will be sentenced on April 20 for attempted murder and assault with a firearm and twelve other felonies, in connection with the shooting at Kelly Elementary school in Carlsbad.

Brendan O’Rourke was found guilty and sane enough, at the end of a three-week trial in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse this month, during which his co-workers testified.

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Richard Palmer worked with Brendan for a year and a half, five days a week, in the same little room with another co-worker. They worked the same hours, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. They set up appointments with customers by phone for the Carlsbad company NTN Buzztime.

Although Brendan “tended to keep more to himself,” Richard said he is a talker, so he would try to draw out Brendan in conversation.

The coworkers both found Brendan “very intelligent,” in fact they gave him the nickname “Jeeves” – after the search engine "Ask Jeeves," which is named after P.G. Wodehouse's near omniscient butler character. They said they could ask Brendan a question on any topic and he would have an answer.

And then there were the “rants.” Especially after he had been looking at his cell phone, Brendan would make swearing outbursts which began as low mumbling then got louder. “It appeared he was reading news articles.” What would he rant about? “Usually about God and fags -- his words.” Brendan especially hated priests. And he hated homosexuals, saying they all should die. Richard said the outbursts would happen at least three times a day.

But if Brendan was in the middle of a “rant” he could instantly switch it off when his work phone rang. “He would answer the phone in a professional manner.” Richard said he did find this “odd.”

Another little quirk about Brendan -- if they said “God bless you” to Brendan, for example when he sneezed, Brendan would reply, “How dare you say that to me” and “Don’t say that to me,” according to Richard.

Richard was stunned to hear about Brendan’s arrest in October of 2010. “I was in disbelief. I didn’t think he could have done it.”

Brendan Liam O’Rourke, 42, will be sentenced on April 20 for attempted murder and assault with a firearm and twelve other felonies, in connection with the shooting at Kelly Elementary school in Carlsbad.

Brendan O’Rourke was found guilty and sane enough, at the end of a three-week trial in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse this month, during which his co-workers testified.

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