San Francisco man convicted of poisoning, raping, and murdering young man adopted by gay couple

A San Francisco man was convicted by a jury on Tuesday for the gruesome videotaped 2019 torture, poisoning, and murder of a young man who was adopted by a gay couple.

Gerald Rowe, 52, was convicted for the first-degree murder, torture, and poisoning of George Randall-Saldivar, 23, in a Market Street hotel room on February 3, 2019.

(Editor's note: The following description may be upsetting to some readers.) Rowe and his accomplice, Angel Anderson, 41, engaged in a consensual threesome with Randall-Saldivar before they raped and tortured him over four hours, injected him with fentanyl, strangled him, and stuffed him, still alive, in a suitcase which they dumped in the San Francisco Bay the following day.

Much of the sexual encounter and ensuing torture and murder were recorded on a videotape that was later discovered by investigators in Rowe’s apartment where the murder occurred.

Anderson, who was 36 at the time of the murder, was in the custody of police in Sacramento when Randall-Saldivar’s body was discovered floating near Pier 39 on February 18. Two days later, investigators in San Francisco were alerted that Anderson had confessed to the crime.

Anderson pleaded guilty and will be sentenced to 25 years to life on March 18. Rowe will also be sentenced on March 18 where he is expected to receive a similar sentence.

Prosecutors stressed the heinous nature of the crime and the importance of bringing Rowe and Anderson to justice, pointing out at the trial that Randall-Saldivar was alive for up to 20 hours before he died.

“While this conviction cannot undo the hours of torture and painful poisoning experienced by the victim, it does condemn the depravity of the defendant's acts along with the inhumane way he handled the victim’s remains when he threw him into the Bay like garbage,” Assistant District Attorney Charly Weissenbach said after the conviction, as reported by local CW affiliate KRON and other media outlets.

Randall-Saldivar was the son of Christopher Saldivar and Mark Randall. The couple earlier told the Bay Area Reporter they adopted him in 2004 at the age of 10. He had been experiencing behavioral issues after being shuttled between multiple foster homes, but Saldivar and Randall said his behavior improved once he joined their family. He had been experiencing difficulties, however, and was living at a Tenderloin shelter at the time of his murder.

“We feel an overwhelming sense of relief for the victim’s family, who have waited far too long to receive justice in this case,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was quoted after the conviction by the SF Standard. “Mr. Rowe and Ms. Anderson’s actions were heinous and a beloved son’s life was lost far too early. We thank the jury for their time and attention to this very serious case.”