3rd suspect in murder trial appears in court

Man accused of killing a mother with two others last year

A third murder suspect in the shooting death of Kimberly Harvill, whose body was found near Gorman last year, pleaded not guilty Thursday to the murder charge filed against him.

Alex Richard Valdez, a 29-year-old warehouse worker who lives in Firebaugh west of Fresno, appeared Thursday in Los Angeles Superior court Tuesday where he was further arraigned on one felony count of murder.

“He pleaded not guilty and his next date in June 21 for Preliminary Hearing Setting,” Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

In late March, Valdez was charged with one count of murder in the same case as (Britany Sue) Humphrey and (Joshua Aaron) Robertson.

His arraignment continued Thursday when he entered his plea.

Humphrey is scheduled to be arraigned on June 21.

“Robertson was a missout,” Santiago said, meaning he did not appear in court as scheduled.

Robertson is expected back in court Friday when he is expected to be arraigned, or formally charged.

All three suspects stand accused in the shooting death of Kimberly Harvill.

Valdez was arrested in Fresno on an outstanding warrant shortly after 4 p.m. on March 24, Det. Scott Matlock, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Homicide Bureau told The Signal at the time.

Valdez, Robertson, Humphrey and Harvill were each involved in a shooting at a Fresno hotel that happened Aug. 12, 2016, Matlock said.

Harvill’s body was found lying in the brush by a motorist on Aug. 14 along Gorman Post Road, north of California State Route 138, in Lebec, near the Kern County line.

“Everybody was involved, including the victim and the two people previously arrested, in a shooting in Fresno,” Matlock said in March, noting the shooting was not a fatal shooting.

“The shooting stemmed from a dispute in Fresno at a hotel,” he said.

The criminal complaint filed against Humphrey and Robertson charges them with the “willful, deliberate and premeditated Murder” of Kimberly Harvill, mother of the three children.

The complaint has since been amended to include Valdez as the third suspect in the murder.

The complaint also alleges Robertson shot and killed Harvill and that he further broke the law being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Harvill’s children – 5-year-old daughter Rylee Watkins; 3 year-old son Brayden Watkins, and 2-year-old Joslynn Watkins – were found unharmed in New Mexico in August.