Dan Flynn for Shasta County Superior Court Judge

SIGNIFICANT CASES:

People v. Patrick Larmour

(Article found on Media Page)

Shasta County case number 04F7746

Heather Marie Carpenter attended a party in late August 2004 and was driven home by defendant Patrick Larmour. She did not show up to work the next day, and a county wide search was conducted. Larmour became a suspect early in the investigation as he was the last one to see her alive. In December 2004, Larmour confided in a friend that he had killed Carpenter and where he had buried her body. The friend assisted in locating Heather's remains, which consisted of 72 pieces of bone. A fractured maxilla was the only part of Heather's remains that gave some evidence of violence, due the characteristic “LaForte” fracture pattern indicative of a significant blow to her face. The investigation revealed a pattern of sexual crimes. Two rape allegations were added when two live victims of rape came forward. Larmour was charged with first degree murder with a special circumstance of rape, one count of forcible rape, and one count of rape of an unconscious person. 

Larmour was found guilty of first degree murder and forcible rape. He is serving 33 years to life in prison

People v. Robert Stayer and Timothy Stayer

Shasta County case number 04F8744

Shortly after Thanksgiving Day, 2004, Timothy and Robert Stayers' mother, Catherine Tueschen, meet the victim, Christopher Hoff, in a bar in Cottonwood, California. She took him to her home in Anderson California were she lived with her sons. Later, Timothy Stayer caught Christopher Hoff in his mother's bedroom where they were engaged in consensual sex. Timothy became angry and beat Christopher Hoff. Timothy then called his brother, Robert, who joined Timothy in the assault in order to punish Christopher. Robert had arrived with two friends, Daniel Coyne and Kevin Skelton, who also engaged in the assault against Christopher. During the evening, Christopher was beaten three more times, and an insect killer, diazonon, was poured over his body. Christopher was transported by the defendants to a boat ramp on the Sacramento river, where he was beaten again and later died. The four men were charged with first degree murder with the special circumstance of kidnapping, torture, conspiracy to commit torture, and kidnapping. The case was tried in partnership with another prosecutor.

The Stayer brothers are serving life without the possibility of parole.

People v. Richard Allen McWhorter

(Newspaper clipping found on Media Page)

Kern County case number SC065352A

Richard McWhorter killed his wife's best friend and her nine year old son in the victim's apartment in August 1994. The victims' bodies were found 5 days later. The cause of death was difficult to determine because of advanced decomposition, but due to blood evidence at the scene, it was believed that Richard McWhorter killed them by blunt force using his hands and feet. Defendant and his wife had lived next to the victims for a number of months. They moved to Las Vegas so defendant could start a lawn business. According to defendant's wife, they later returned to Bakersfield to obtain money for the business from McWhorter's mother. After the murders, defendant's wife thanked McWhorter's mother for the start up money and was told that no money was given. Further investigation revealed that defendant was at the victim's home the day of the murder as his photo was the last one taken by the nine year old victim on his disposable camera, along with many other pieces of circumstantial evidence.

Richard McWhorter was convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances and the jury fixed the penalty of death. The case is awaiting oral argument at the California Supreme Court.

 People v. Robert Santos and Michael Todd

(Newspaper clipping found on Media Page)

Kern County case number SC063301A

Defendant's, Santos and Todd, were members of a local skinhead gang affiliated with the White Aryan Resistance. On a hot summer evening, they went out to the country with two girls and the victim. Defendants' planned to take the girls and run away. When the victim told them not to follow through with the plan, they conspired to kill him. They told him a gun had been buried under a tree and the three dug a six foot deep hole. Defendants had the victim get in the hole and they beat him to death for over two hours with a tire iron and shovel. They then buried him in the hole. The following day, the two girls went to the police and told the story. Santos and Todd were both charged with first degree murder with the special circumstance of torture. Both Santos and Todd are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

People v. Jason Carl Samuel

(Newspaper Clipping found on Media Page)

Kern County case number SC070656A

On the night of April 14, 1997, Tom Morgan was a training officer for the Kern County Sheriff's Department. He and his trainee stopped to check the welfare of a pair of young men stopped on the side of the road. When defendant, Jason Samuel, was patted down, Morgan's partner shouted “gun”. Defendant ran, followed by Morgan, who falsely assumed his trainee partner had seized the gun. When Morgan cornered the defendant behind a house, the defendant shot Morgan in the throat with a Deringer style gun that had a .410 shotgun shell in it. Samuel then took Morgan's backup weapon and tried to shoot Morgan with it. Because the gun had an unusual safety, he was not able to kill Morgan.

Samuel was convicted of attempted murder of a peace officer, resisting arrest and removing a peace officer's firearm. Special allegations of gun use and great bodily injury were found true. He is serving life with the possibility of parole.

OTHER CASES:

People v. Encarnacion Barrientos and Justo Guzmam : First Degree Gang Murder.  (Newspaper clipping found on Media Page)

People v. Perfecto Cervantes : Second Degree Murder of a baby. (Newspaper clipping found on Media Page)

People v. Crystal Furness and Kenneth Williams : Second Degree Murder of a baby.  (Newspaper clipping found on Media Page)

People v. David Herring, Brian Suell and Richard Gooden : First Degree Gang Murder.

People v. Mark Anthony Sias : First Degree Murder.

People v. Dwight Jones, Rodney Gupton and Deshawn Samuels : First Degree Gang Murder.

People v. Matthew Mark Luke : Pimping.

People v. Nick Charles Graham : Major Embezzlement.  (Newspaper clipping found on Media Page)

People v. Jerry Villegas : Attempted First Degree Murder.

CRIMES PROSECUTED:

Drug Sales, Drug Possession, Drug Manufacturing, Driving Under the Influence Causing Death, Driving Under the Influence Causing Injury, Driving Under the Influence, First Degree Burglary, Second Degree Burglary, Arson, Grand Theft, Robbery, Assault with Deadly Weapons, Rape, Assault with Intent to Commit Rape, Child Molest, Torture, Mayhem, Child Abuse, Child Endangerment, Felony Evading, Solicitation of Murder, Assault of a Peace Officer, Forgery, and other various felony and misdemeanor cases.