How new legislation and a springtime murder tie into Yuba-sutter
Reporter’s Note: one umbrella of legislation “that is simply not safe or equitable,” Victoria Maupin said. Her mother, stepfather Claudia Maupin and Oliver Northup were tortured and stabbed dozens of times in their Davis home in 2013.
Daniel Marsh – who was 15 at the time and is now 21 – was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to 52 years to life in prison for the murder of Maupin and Northup. He has a hearing next month to determine if the sentence will stand or if he will be retried as a juvenile.
SB 1437 would largely rewrite the felony murder rule, allowing anyone convicted of murder to petition for resentencing. In the manner it is written, the change would require a district attorney’s office to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a person is ineligible to have their conviction set aside. El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson said the bill would significantly amend the law of accomplice murder without going before the voters, and would force law enforcement officials to spend “countless” hours litigating the constitutionality of it. Rachel Rosenbaum is a reporter at the Appealdemocrat
Two sweeping police transparency bills, approved by the Legislature last week, also sit on the governor’s desk for approval.
The two measures – co-sponsored by the California News Publishers Association and American Civil Liberties Union – would require the disclosure of certain police personnel records as well as body camera and other video and audio footage captured by police cameras and recording devices, according to a CNPA press release.
Senate Bill 1421 would overturn a 40-year ban on disclosing police personnel records and would make disclosable a record relating to the report, investigation or findings of incidents involving discharging of a firearm, use of force, sexual misconduct and acts of dishonesty (like perjury or falsifying evidence). Assembly Bill 748 adds a new section to the investigatory records exemption and would require disclosure of video or audio footage of a critical incident.
Remains found in Spenceville Wildlife Area in March were identified as belonging to Los Angeles resident Adea Shabani, 25 – who had moved from her native Macedonia to L.A. to follow her dreams of acting.
Not much news has come since the discovery of her body in the shallow grave, mostly because the man suspected of her death, Christopher Spotz, 33, killed himself after a police chase in Riverside County days before Shabani’s body was found.
Yuba County District Attorney Pat Mcgrath said the Los Angeles Police Department asked his office to review their investigation in July regarding any involvement of Spotz’s father – a Wheatland resident – as a potential accessory after the crime.
“On July 25th we notified them that the evidence was not sufficient to proceed with any prosecution, as there was no independent evidence of his direct participation and involvement in the concealment of Ms. Shabani’s body,” Mcgrath wrote in an email.
According to L.A. police, Shabani was last seen alive with Spotz on Feb. 23. A surveillance photo taken that day in an elevator shows the pair together. Spotz later told police that Shabani left his car in Santa Clarita after an argument. Shabani likely was buried around Feb. 23 in the shallow grave by Dry Creek in Nevada County. Days later Spotz drove to Colorado with another woman, his fiancee, police said.
The LAPD did not respond to multiple requests for more information about the case.
KB Home will host a grand opening today from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. marking progress on the final phase of a Live Oak housing development – Pennington Ranch.
Attendees will have the opportunity to tour model homes. The Pennington Ranch sales office is located at 9963 Luther Road, Live Oak.
“KB Home actually announced the grand opening of Pennington Ranch this week and the community is now open for sale,” said Craig Lemessurier, senior director of corporate communications.
(A more detailed story on the development will be published in the Monday edition.)
Lisa M. Jarnagin, 46, of the 1300 block of Southwind Drive, Yuba City, was arrested by the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at Sutter County Jail on suspicion of embezzlement. She was booked into Sutter County Jail.
Daija A. Daniels, 21, of the 400 block of River Oaks Drive, Yuba City, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at 3:35 a.m. Sept. 6 at Garden Highway. She was booked into Sutter County Jail.
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