ID's People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the '90s - Who killed horror film director Al Adamson and where is he now?

Al Adamson, aka Albert Victor Adamson Jr., was a well-known B-grade filmmaker who was tragically killed in the same graphic way he sometimes portrayed in his films.

Adamson was murdered by an independent live-in contractor named Fred Fulford, who was assisting him in making renovations to his house on Avenue 49, Indio, located about 150 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Fulford reportedly killed Adamson after the two got into a heated argument, and later buried his body beneath the flooring of the house.

Not long after his remains were discovered, police arrested the then 46-year-old Fulford, who was tried in court for first-degree murder and is currently serving his sentence at Stockton's California Health Care Facility.

Now, years later, People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the '90s is set to revisit the gruesome death of the filmmaker in their latest episode airing this Monday, August 8, 2022.

Read on to learn more about Al Adamson's murder case and his killer.

---

How did the police find Al Adamson's killer?

Al Adamson's brother contacted the police on July 26, about five weeks after the former's disappearance. At Al's California residence, it was discovered that his favorite Jacuzzi had been removed from its designated private room. When sources close to Adamson stated that he would never have sanctioned such a removal, police dug up the flooring in the private room that once housed the Jacuzzi.

It was here that they discovered Al's naked, partly rotting remains covered in linen. His skull had been crushed.

According to investigators, the Jacuzzi had been demolished, and the corpse was buried in a "deep hole" made of concrete and soil. A brand new tile flooring was laid out over the grave.

Not long after the discovery of Al's rotting remains, an arrest warrant was issued for Fred Fulford, his live-in contractor. Reports stated that the agreement between the two was to convert the property, with Fred taking over renovation duties. He was permitted to stay in the house and even use Adamson's credit card for anything necessary. The two would split the profits after selling the property.

Fred, however, mismanaged the job given to him and trifled away his employer's money, which sparked a few tense arguments between the two, ultimately resulting in Al Adamson's horrifying death. In mid-August 1995, police detained Adamson's killer after receiving tips over the phone.

46-year-old Fred Fulford was apprehended in a hotel room in St. Petersburg, Florida.

---

Where is Al Adamson's killer, Fred Fulford, now?

During the 1999 trial of Adamson's murder, the prosecution said that Fred Fulford hit Al Adamson over the head with a big, heavy instrument, killing him in the process. During his cross-examination on the witness stand, Fred admitted to fraud, dishonesty, and even misusing Al's money and trust, but vehemently denied murdering him.

The jury deliberated for about two hours before convicting Fred Fulford guilty of murder after a six-week long trial. He was given a 25-years-to-life jail term in March 2000.

Fulford, who is 72 now, is held in the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. He was first eligible for parole in early 2016, but the board rejected his request for three years and he will thus be subject to a parole eligibility review in June 2024.

---

People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the '90s upcoming episode titled Deaths Final Cut will air on Investigation Discovery this Monday, August 8, at 8 pm ET.