After being charged with three counts of murder during an Oct. 18 arraignment, suspected Stockton killer Wesley Brownlee, 43, is set to face a highly publicized trial in the coming New Year.
The public nature of this trial compelled Brownlee’s state-appointed defense attorney, Allison Nobert, to request a pretrial gag order on Oct. 25.
Citing two press conferences where police Chief Stanley McFadden and District Attorney Tori Verber-Salazar made statements regarding the degree of evidence the state had against Brownlee, Nobert suggested that her client was not facing the prospect of a fair trial.
Judge Xapuri Villapudua struck down the defense’s request, however.
“The court at this point cannot find that there is a reasonable likelihood that the negative press would prevent Mr. Brownlee from receiving a fair trial,” stated the judge.
Judge Villapudua went on to suggest that it was “highly likely that this case will not have the coverage that it’s currently generating.”
According to case documents filed with the San Joaquin County Superior Court, Brownlee is being charged with the Aug. 30 murder of Jonathan Rodriguez Hernandez, the Sep. 21 murder of Juan Carlos Carranza-Cruz, and the Sep. 27 murder of Lawrence Lopez.
Brownlee was also charged with felony possession of a firearm, as well as felony possession of ammunition.
Elton Grau, the lead prosecutor in the case, stated that this firearm police discovered during Brownlee’s arrest was a “ghost gun,” a weapon that is assembled in pieces and usually bought online. These ghost guns often lack serial numbers and are virtually untraceable as a result.
Grau also gave a brief glimpse into the evidence prosecutors say proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Brownlee is responsible for the three murders he is charged with.
Grau stated that ballistic evidence at the scene of the three murders Brownlee is charged with linked back to the ghost gun police found during his arrest. He also stated that “cellular data associated with Mr. Brownlee places him at the locations” of the three murders he is charged with.
He also revealed that the DA’s office is currently investigating two more local murders they believe Brownlee is connected to.
During a press conference following the suspect’s arraignment, D.A. Verber-Salazar reiterated the ongoing nature of the case.
“There are two more murder victims, and an attempted murder,” she said, “we will make further charging decisions in relation to those cases in the next coming weeks.”
“We have more work to do,” she added.
Brownlee is currently being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court next on Jan. 3, 2023, at 9 a.m.
