Redmond O’Neal Today: Charges, Delay, and 2026 Hearing

Redmond O’Neal today remains held without bail at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County, California, awaiting trial on 13 felony and misdemeanor counts, including attempted murder, tied to a week of violent attacks in Los Angeles in May 2018. After nearly six years deemed incompetent to stand trial, the only child of Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett was restored to competency in 2025, pleaded not guilty in March 2026, and was ordered held over for trial on all charges after a preliminary hearing that concluded June 25, 2026.¹

Where He Is Now

O’Neal, 41, has spent roughly eight years in some form of custody since his May 2018 arrest. His conservator, family friend Mela Murphy, said in 2026 that he had spent five years at Patton State Hospital, where he had been “drug-free and a model patient” and was participating in a 12-step recovery program. Murphy credited the hospital stay with finally getting him a “proper mental health diagnosis and medication.”²

His father Ryan O’Neal died of congestive heart failure on December 8, 2023. Redmond, confined at Patton, did not attend the funeral.²

His recent court appearances have drawn attention for a striking physical change. O’Neal now bears prominent tattoos, including devil horns on his forehead and the number “5250” on his cheek, a reference to the California psychiatric hold code used for the involuntary commitment of individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.³

The Charges He Faces

The 13 counts stem from a string of unprovoked confrontations across the Venice Beach and Palms neighborhoods of Los Angeles between May 2 and May 5, 2018. According to the LAPD, the attacks began with strangers being punched and escalated into stabbings on the Venice Beach Boardwalk and a nearby street, where two men were found with serious wounds to the torso, face, and neck. The following day, O’Neal allegedly pulled a folding knife on an employee inside a coffee shop.⁴

Police connected him to the earlier incidents after arresting him on May 8 for the armed robbery of a 7-Eleven, where he was also found with methamphetamine and heroin.⁵ The Los Angeles District Attorney filed charges in June 2018: one count of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of criminal threats, one count of brandishing a knife, one count of battery, and two counts of drug possession, among others.⁴ At least one victim later filed a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for medical expenses and lost earnings, alleging the injuries left him unable to work.⁶

Why the Case Sat for Six Years

In September 2019, a judge ruled O’Neal incompetent to stand trial and ordered him transferred to Patton State Hospital for psychiatric treatment.² Evaluations during that period resulted in diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.⁷ Medical experts testified that he could not “meaningfully assist in his own defense,” the legal threshold for proceeding to trial in California.⁸

In 2025, a court ruled O’Neal had been restored to competency, clearing the way for the case to proceed.⁹ He appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom in March 2026, where his attorney, Dana Cole, entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. He has never entered an insanity plea.²

The June 2026 Preliminary Hearing

The preliminary hearing concluded on June 25, 2026, before L.A. County Superior Court Commissioner James P. Cooper. Cooper ruled there was “sufficient evidence on each charge” to hold O’Neal over for trial on all 13 felony and misdemeanor counts. On the attempted murder count specifically, the commissioner found that the injuries inflicted on the 2018 victim were “designed to inflict fatality” and that the evidence supported a preliminary finding of intent to kill.¹

During the hearing, the defense tried to introduce testimony from a psychologist about O’Neal’s mental state during the alleged spree. Cooper denied the request, ruling the testimony “irrelevant” because the psychologist had not witnessed the incidents and the information would be secondhand.⁷

What the Defense Is Arguing

Cole has signaled that mental health will drive the defense strategy. “There is a whole mental health overlay. And that is going to be very important in deciding how ultimately this case gets resolved,” he told reporters.¹

Cole also pushed back on the severity of the lead charge, arguing that any attempted murder conviction should be second degree rather than the first degree the prosecution is seeking. On the remaining counts, he said O’Neal has “sort of already done his time” through years of confinement.¹

What Happens Next

No trial date has been set. O’Neal’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 9, 2026, when a trial judge is expected to address the bail question. Cole has indicated he would eventually like to move O’Neal from the state hospital to a private facility with “structure and supervision” before bail is set.¹

The Inheritance That Isn’t Available

Farrah Fawcett’s estate left Redmond a $4.5 million trust fund when she died in 2009, but the principal is restricted to health care and rehabilitation expenses and is managed by her former business manager, Richard Francis. Redmond is entitled only to the interest the fund generates, which is why prosecutors say he was robbing a convenience store on the night his 2018 arrest brought the case together.¹⁰

In a 2018 jailhouse interview, Redmond pointed to his upbringing as a source of lasting damage, describing the “psychological trauma of my entire life,” fights with his father, periods of homelessness, and the pressure of celebrity. “I never asked for any of this, I never wanted any attention,” he said.¹¹

1
Yahoo Entertainment. Farrah Fawcett’s Son Redmond O’Neal
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People. Where Is Redmond O’Neal Now
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Parade. Farrah Fawcett’s Son Redmond O’Neal Spotted With Devil Horn Face Tattoos
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People. Redmond O’Neal Charged With Attempted Murder
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ABC News. Redmond O’Neal Charged With Attempted Murder
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People. Redmond O’Neal Sued by Alleged Stabbing Victim
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US Magazine. Redmond O’Neal Ordered to Stay at State Hospital, No Bail Set
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New York Post. Nick Reiner Case Has Similarities With Redmond O’Neal’s
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AOL. Redmond O’Neal, Farrah Fawcett’s Son
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People. Why Farrah Fawcett’s Son Robbed a Convenience Store Despite His $4.5M Inheritance
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People. Ryan O’Neal’s Children: Everything to Know