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Moss Gropen
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Dorian Hargrove
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Dryw Keltz
Eva Knott
Thomas Larson
Ken Leighton
Matthew Lickona
Mike Madriaga
Bill Manson
Scott Marks
Bob McPhail
Walter Mencken
Joseph O'Brien
Sheila Pell
Ian Pike
Matt Potter
H.G. Reza
Dave Rice
Elizabeth Salaam
Jay Allen Sanford
Julie Stalmer
DJ Stevens
Matthew Suárez
Amanda Tascher
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Eva Knott
Eva Knott
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Votes
Some trees and a man died for this
First thing today, June 19, the jury sent out note number four to the judge. One juror asked the court "what does imminent and immediate danger mean" as found inside one of the juror instructions. The judge instructed the jury to refer to another, written page of instructions. After the jury finishes their morning break in just a few minutes, they will hear a couple hours of read-back of Evelyn Zeller's testimony, and then resume deliberations.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 19, 2014 10:02 a.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
Michael Vilkin took the witness stand, and testified all day Thursday June 12 and half of Friday June 13.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 18, 2014 6:50 p.m.
Pillow shock
Donna Lee Darling was taken into custody today, June 18 2014, to begin her 365 days custody. At the last minute, her defense attorney Herb Weston requested that her custody be counted while she got some kind of medical treatment, but prosecutor Ryan Saunders protested and the judge said no. Darling tried to hide behind her attorney during the hearing today, but was exposed as the deputy put her into cuffs and led her away.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 18, 2014 6:18 p.m.
Gang tats don’t help dead man
Shirley, thank you for your sympathetic wishes. The courthouse is actually a place for optimism, where people hope for some justice. Today we got photos of Donna Lee Darling being put into handcuffs -- she made a plea deal and admitted assault on an old man who said she shoved a pillow over his face.
— June 18, 2014 6 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
The jury continues to deliberate the case. Yesterday, one juror who reportedly is an English professor sent out a note asking the judge to define the word "and" as it is found in certain printed jury instructions. Then late Wednesday, June 18, near the end of their second full day of deliberations, the jury is requesting read-back of Evelyn Zeller's testimony -- she is the woman who lived in the rented home with John Upton.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 18, 2014 4:15 p.m.
Gang tats don’t help dead man
Prosecutor David Bost said that police brought a photo-lineup of possible suspects to Lisa Badget while she was in hospital, and she selected Diego Arturo Martinez as the man who shot her. The prosecutor showed a photo of the circled photo to the jury yesterday, June 16, 2014.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 17, 2014 4:15 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
Sheriff's detective Troy DuGal testified that the .40 caliber Glock handgun found in John Upton's nightstand was actually registered to someone named "Sommese." The detective said John Upton did have one .22 caliber pistol registered in his name, but that weapon was never located. Because murder defendant Michael Vilkin is claiming self-defense, his attorney appears to create suspicion that Upton could indeed have been armed or threatened Vilkin with a handgun. When Evelyn Zeller and James Upton were in the witness box, they were asked if they removed any weapon near the body of the fallen man, when they approached immediately after the fatal encounter.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 11, 2014 12:58 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
Evelyn Zeller, who described herself as John Upton's "life partner" took the witness box this morning, June 9, 2014. She confirmed that "yes, we liked our privacy" and that she had "some interactions" with the man who came to work on his property which adjoined their place. Zeller only knew the neighbor by his first name, Michael, and said she walked her dogs on his property and "I would share with him." Zeller said she told the man it was "not wise" for him to cut down the brush on his acres. Their relationship was cordial for about two months, Zeller told the jury, but eventually his response became "Get the f--k off my property." She will continue her testimony after the court's lunch break.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 9, 2014 1:12 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
The adult son of the deceased man, named James Upton, took the witness box during trial last week. He said he lived in the guest house on the property, and saw Michael Vilkin working on the adjoining property “almost every day.” James said he had interactions with Vilkin because his pitbull named Leila often went onto Vilkin’s property and then James would retrieve his dog. “He actually said he liked her around,” James told the jury. James also told the jury that he was familiar with his father's contacts with Vilkin and that John Upton “never” yelled nor threatened Vilkin, but “was trying to tell Vilkin not to cut all the trees down” -- and did warn Vilkin that another neighbor was going to sue him. James said it was just after 9 a.m. on a Thursday morning, March 28, 2013, when his father’s live-in-girlfriend burst into his bedroom and declared: “Man, get up man, your Dad’s been shot!” James said he went outside and found his father on the ground with “two huge pools of blood” -- on Vilkin's property. James said he could see Vilkin nearby and remembered him as “really calm.” James is expected to continue in the witness box when trial resumes tomorrow morning, June 9, 2014.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 8, 2014 6:44 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
The prosecutor claims that Vilkin planned ahead, and brought the large revolver with him in a large, plastic carrying case.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…
— June 6, 2014 2:03 p.m.
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Ken Harrison
Patrick Henderson
Tam Hoang
Eve Kelly
Dryw Keltz
Eva Knott
Thomas Larson
Ken Leighton
Matthew Lickona
Mike Madriaga
Bill Manson
Scott Marks
Bob McPhail
Walter Mencken
Joseph O'Brien
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This Week’s
Reader
This Week’s
Reader
Some trees and a man died for this
First thing today, June 19, the jury sent out note number four to the judge. One juror asked the court "what does imminent and immediate danger mean" as found inside one of the juror instructions. The judge instructed the jury to refer to another, written page of instructions. After the jury finishes their morning break in just a few minutes, they will hear a couple hours of read-back of Evelyn Zeller's testimony, and then resume deliberations. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 19, 2014 10:02 a.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
Michael Vilkin took the witness stand, and testified all day Thursday June 12 and half of Friday June 13. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 18, 2014 6:50 p.m.
Pillow shock
Donna Lee Darling was taken into custody today, June 18 2014, to begin her 365 days custody. At the last minute, her defense attorney Herb Weston requested that her custody be counted while she got some kind of medical treatment, but prosecutor Ryan Saunders protested and the judge said no. Darling tried to hide behind her attorney during the hearing today, but was exposed as the deputy put her into cuffs and led her away. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j… http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j… http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 18, 2014 6:18 p.m.
Gang tats don’t help dead man
Shirley, thank you for your sympathetic wishes. The courthouse is actually a place for optimism, where people hope for some justice. Today we got photos of Donna Lee Darling being put into handcuffs -- she made a plea deal and admitted assault on an old man who said she shoved a pillow over his face.— June 18, 2014 6 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
The jury continues to deliberate the case. Yesterday, one juror who reportedly is an English professor sent out a note asking the judge to define the word "and" as it is found in certain printed jury instructions. Then late Wednesday, June 18, near the end of their second full day of deliberations, the jury is requesting read-back of Evelyn Zeller's testimony -- she is the woman who lived in the rented home with John Upton. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 18, 2014 4:15 p.m.
Gang tats don’t help dead man
Prosecutor David Bost said that police brought a photo-lineup of possible suspects to Lisa Badget while she was in hospital, and she selected Diego Arturo Martinez as the man who shot her. The prosecutor showed a photo of the circled photo to the jury yesterday, June 16, 2014. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 17, 2014 4:15 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
Sheriff's detective Troy DuGal testified that the .40 caliber Glock handgun found in John Upton's nightstand was actually registered to someone named "Sommese." The detective said John Upton did have one .22 caliber pistol registered in his name, but that weapon was never located. Because murder defendant Michael Vilkin is claiming self-defense, his attorney appears to create suspicion that Upton could indeed have been armed or threatened Vilkin with a handgun. When Evelyn Zeller and James Upton were in the witness box, they were asked if they removed any weapon near the body of the fallen man, when they approached immediately after the fatal encounter. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 11, 2014 12:58 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
Evelyn Zeller, who described herself as John Upton's "life partner" took the witness box this morning, June 9, 2014. She confirmed that "yes, we liked our privacy" and that she had "some interactions" with the man who came to work on his property which adjoined their place. Zeller only knew the neighbor by his first name, Michael, and said she walked her dogs on his property and "I would share with him." Zeller said she told the man it was "not wise" for him to cut down the brush on his acres. Their relationship was cordial for about two months, Zeller told the jury, but eventually his response became "Get the f--k off my property." She will continue her testimony after the court's lunch break. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 9, 2014 1:12 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
The adult son of the deceased man, named James Upton, took the witness box during trial last week. He said he lived in the guest house on the property, and saw Michael Vilkin working on the adjoining property “almost every day.” James said he had interactions with Vilkin because his pitbull named Leila often went onto Vilkin’s property and then James would retrieve his dog. “He actually said he liked her around,” James told the jury. James also told the jury that he was familiar with his father's contacts with Vilkin and that John Upton “never” yelled nor threatened Vilkin, but “was trying to tell Vilkin not to cut all the trees down” -- and did warn Vilkin that another neighbor was going to sue him. James said it was just after 9 a.m. on a Thursday morning, March 28, 2013, when his father’s live-in-girlfriend burst into his bedroom and declared: “Man, get up man, your Dad’s been shot!” James said he went outside and found his father on the ground with “two huge pools of blood” -- on Vilkin's property. James said he could see Vilkin nearby and remembered him as “really calm.” James is expected to continue in the witness box when trial resumes tomorrow morning, June 9, 2014. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 8, 2014 6:44 p.m.
Some trees and a man died for this
The prosecutor claims that Vilkin planned ahead, and brought the large revolver with him in a large, plastic carrying case. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2014/j…— June 6, 2014 2:03 p.m.