GUILTY CA - David Wicks, 54, clerk burned alive at gas station, Burney, 21 Dec 2016

[DeDee]

Venegas has been ordered again to stand trial. He will be arraigned May 26 and the trial date will probably be set then. Regarding a motive....

But Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Curtis Woods, prosecuting the case, said Venegas is the killer, although he did not provide a possible motive for the horrific murder.
Nevertheless, he did rule out robbery.
"This wasn't a robbery that went bad," he said. "It (the murder) was done with a purpose" and to inflict pain. "He's doing it for his own sadistic purpose."
http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...dered-stand-trial-death-burney-man/101607670/

.... he did not provide a possible motive for the horrific murder.

Au contraire, redding.com reporter . The motive was the killer wanted to torture and kill and so he did for his own uncontrollable evil, sadistic urges needed to be satisfied.

"This wasn't a robbery that went bad," he said. "It (the murder) was done with a purpose" and to inflict pain. "He's doing it for his own sadistic purpose."

 

[Lilibet]

Au contraire, redding.com reporter . The motive was the killer wanted to torture and kill and so he did for his own uncontrollable evil, sadistic urges needed to be satisfied.

Exactly. Now I'd just like to see the rest of the trial coverage to find out if the DA makes that point. I can't understand the silence.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

A wave, a nod, a murder: Witness details run-in with man he says is Wicks' real killer

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/10/witness-details-man-wicks/550210001/

While Juan Manuel Venegas was arrested on suspicion of Wicks’ murder, the defense has made the case into a true whodunit, saying Venegas’ DNA was only on the rain suit, bike and ski mask connected to the crime by coincidence. That’s in part because Campbell testified in Wicks' murder trial Thursday that the man he saw that evening was someone he recognized from town — but not Venegas.

<snipped>

Defense attorney Michael Borges said Campbell’s interviews with detectives about the man in the rain suit were originally withheld from his office, which got the case tossed earlier this year. The DA’s office immediately refiled, with DA Stephanie Bridgett saying she had “complete confidence” Venegas was the killer.

That confidence continued Thursday as Shasta County Senior Deputy District Attorney Emily Mees pointed out some potential holes in Campbell’s story.

 

[Indy Anna]

"No official motive in the murder has ever been released, though [Defense Attorney] Borges has said a disgruntled customer was heard saying he&#8217;d &#8220;light this guy on fire and make him burn&#8221; after being banned from the Shell station where Wicks worked."
<snip> http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/10/witness-details-man-wicks/550210001/

Wonder where he got that information.??? I'm sure investigators would be looking diligently into that, and Shell owner could verify and ID person who was banned. JMO

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Wicks murder trial: Three things both sides agree on and more they don't

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/16/wicks-murder-trial-three-things-both-sides-agree-and-more-they-dont/570818001/

Attorneys on both sides of the David Wicks murder trial agree on at least three things: whoever burned the Burney man alive in December did it on purpose; the person actually charged with the crime doesn’t have a known motive for it; and the case against him relies on plenty of circumstantial evidence.

But just about everything else jurors have to weigh now that they’re deliberating is disputed between Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Emily Mees and defense attorney Michael Borges.

Jurors are expected to deliberate at least into next week, with a break Monday so they can view the eclipse.

 

[Indy Anna]

Wicks murder trial: Three things both sides agree on and more they don't

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...oth-sides-agree-and-more-they-dont/570818001/

From the same link:

"...is the suit that’s been on display for the trial the one worn by the killer? It’s the one with DNA from Venegas, but Borges said it should be more badly melted or burned based on the killer’s close contact with flames and the fact that it isn’t fireproof, per lab tests. Mees said witnesses who found the suit said it smelled like gasoline, and a missing chunk from the bottom of one leg is consistent with having melted off from contact with fire."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Borges showed clip by clip, the surveillance video in which the suspect momentarily steps in the fuel and flames, arguing that neither was found on the the yellow suit.

Mees told the jurors that there is no reasonable doubt. She reminded them that Venegas' DNA was found on the yellow suit, bicycle and the black mask used by the suspect in the surveillance video."

<snipped> http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/shasta/closing-arguments-in-murder-trial-of-juan-venegas/605806598

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Jury deliberations in murder trial start over from scratch

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/22/jury-deliberations-murder-trial-start-over-scratch/589347001/

A six-man, six-woman Shasta County jury began their deliberations all over again Tuesday in the murder trial of a Redding man accused of deliberately setting a man on fire in December.

Superior Court Judge Greg Gaul ordered the jury to begin its deliberations from the beginning in the trial of 39-year-old Juan Manuel Venegas after dismissing a juror late Friday afternoon for allegedly making comments about the case to an outsider.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Mistrial hangs over Redding man's murder trial

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/25/mistrial-hangs-over-redding-mans-murder-trial/595112001/

Although the six-man, six-woman jury in the trial of Juan Manuel Venegas said Friday morning it was "hopelessly" deadlocked, a Superior Court judge ordered it to continue with its deliberations in an attempt to break the impasse and to reach a unanimous verdict.

Jurors deliberated throughout the day before finally recessing without reaching a verdict. The jury is scheduled to return to court Monday afternoon and resume its deliberations.

The jury was reportedly deadlocked at an 8-4 vote.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Mistrial declared in Venegas murder trial

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/29/mistrial-declared-venegas-murder-trial/611705001/

Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said Tuesday prosecutors will seek a new trial for Juan Michael Venegas.

The six-man, six-woman jury in the trial of Venegas, which declared on Friday it was "hopelessly" deadlocked, told a Superior Court judge Tuesday morning it has been unable to break the impasse following further deliberations.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

New murder trial date set following mistrial

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/30/new-murder-trial-date-set-following-mistrial/617267001/

Thirty-nine-year-old Juan Manuel Venegas, who is accused of fatally setting a Burney man on fire, is to start his retrial Oct. 24.

It ended up being an 8-4 split with the majority voting for an acquittal.

 

[Lilibet]

I certainly didn't expect a mistrial with 8 votes to acquit. It seems that the DNA evidence and Venegas seemingly trying to establish an alibi weren't enough for the jurors. I'd like to know what their reasoning was. Do they think he was framed? Was he? Did someone give false testimony for the defense? I think the prosecution needs to do a more thorough job of eliminating the other two men who had "reason" to kill Wicks, one of whom allegedly threatened to burn him. That is probably why the jurors had reasonable doubt IMO. It's up to the prosecution to prove guilt, and if they don't, the jurors really have no choice but to acquit.

Some of this testimony is in this article.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...rts-man-accused-setting-clerk-fire/528658001/

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Redding man to stand trial again in fire homicide

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2017/10/20/redding-man-stand-trial-again-fire-homicide/783567001/

With Juan Manuel Venegas set to begin standing trial on Tuesday, his defense attorney has already come out swinging, claiming prosecutors violated a court order by allowing sealed evidence to be opened and allegedly tampered with by investigators.

"They (the Shasta County District Attorney's Office) think they can do whatever they want," defense attorney Michael Borges said Friday.

And, he said, the case against his client should be dismissed if prosecutors are indeed found in contempt.

Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said Friday, however, the evidence was never tampered with and remains in its original condition.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

http://www.kqms.com/2017/11/13/defense-requests-continuance-to-review-dna-analysis/

Monday the defense requested a continuance so they can investigate the results of additional DNA analysis done by the state department of justice lab. A new jury trial date will likely be set December 19th.

 

[Linskid]

Could anyone find a date for retrial?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lilibet]

Could anyone find a date for retrial?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m trying. It was supposed to be set on December 19, but I haven’t been able to find anything.

This article says that none of the prosecuting attorneys was held in contempt for handling the rain suit against court orders.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...holding-three-prosecutors-contempt/912674001/

 

[Lilibet]

I found the case docket on the Shasta County Superior Court site in the court calendar section with the notation &#8220;Setting&#8221; on 2/6 for April 18. Perhaps April 18 is for setting the new trial date? Or is it the new trial date? I&#8217;m rather frustrated...again...about how hard it is to find anything in MSM.

caselookup.shasta.courts.ca.gov:8080/Docs/Shasdock_42001.pdf

caselookup.shasta.courts.ca.gov:8080/cgi-bin/webcase22r?typename=NAME347481&ctyp=Criminal&fileyear=17&kdist=AA&kcnty=AA&ktype=AA&ksub=AA&kyear=00&knum=0000000&kseq=000

 

[Lilibet]

Waiting for April 18 to see what &#8220;setting&#8221; means on court calendar. Nothing in the news as usual.

 

[Lilibet]

The case docket now indicates May 4 for &#8220;setting&#8221; again, whatever that means. Here is a screenshot, since the link won&#8217;t post.

Use the court website, &#8220;case index&#8221; to search for Juan Venegas. Results links won&#8217;t post.

http://www.shastacourts.com/index.shtml

 

[Lilibet]

It appears that the trial will begin on Sept. 25. There will be &#8220;further proceedings&#8221; on August 30 and a &#8220;trial readiness conference&#8221; on Sept. 21. We shall see.

Search Juan Venegas at link under &#8220;case index.&#8221;
http://www.shastacourts.com/index.shtml

 

[Linskid]

Jury selection is underway for the retrial
Venegas To Be Retried Soon for Burning Death of Burney Store Clerk