Attorneys conclude closing arguments in Ridgecrest murder case

Closing arguments in the trial of two men suspected of brutally murdering a man by beating him and shooting him in the head in Ridgecrest two years ago concluded Friday.

Brian Matthew Coykendall, 31, and Erwin Moore, 30, are charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Matthew Ian Petersen, 43. Moore is also charged with recklessly evading police.

According to the probable cause statement submitted by the Ridgecrest Police Department to Kern County Superior Court, Coykendall was dating Petersen’s ex-girlfriend, Jessica Adams, also referred to as Eva Adams during the trial, and the pair were living in Petersen’s house while he was in prison.

On March 4, 2022, Petersen died of multiple head injuries in front of the house he owned on Porter Street in Ridgecrest, according to the Kern County coroner’s office. Police found Petersen beaten and face down with a gunshot wound to the head.

On the night of the killing, Moore sped off in a dark-colored car and police chased the car, according to the statement. When Moore stopped, police found two guns in his car and Moore had blood on his shoes, clothes and hands. The statement said Coykendall was later identified in connection to the murder and also arrested.

Petersen was released from prison in January 2022 and he lived in a halfway house until March, according to prosecutor Christine Antonios. Petersen spent time in Wasco State Prison for owning firearms as a felon on March 4, 2021. He was previously found guilty of multiple charges such as battery of Adams and willful cruelty to her child.

The prosecutor and defense attorneys gave their closing arguments Thursday and Friday.

THE PROSECUTION

Antonios claimed that this murder was not random and called it a well-thoughtout plan. She said Coykendall anticipated Petersen was being released from prison and planned how he was going to get back at him once he returned.

The prosecutor showed text message exchanges that Coykendall had with his neighbor, asking him for a favor in March 2022.

Back in January, a Ring doorbell video showed Coykendall going to his neighbor’s house and asking if any of his surveillance cameras had audio. When the neighbor said yes, Coykendall and his neighbor walked around the corner of the house where they could not be seen or heard.

Antonios said Coykendall asked his neighbor to turn off his surveillance cameras because he wanted to have “probable deniability.” This conversation was not heard in the video shown to the jury.

Coykendall also called Moore, who drove from Camp Pendleton to Ridgecrest, about 150 miles away. Antonios argued that if Coykendall was fearful of Petersen when he returned from prison, why would he call Moore rather than ask a local neighbor. She said the two were “on the same page” about what was going to happen to Petersen that night.

Antonios did not deny what Petersen did to Adams or her daughter. But Antonios said Petersen served his time in prison for his actions.

“He was convicted of them but he doesn’t get to die for them,” Antonios said of Petersen’s violent actions.

However, Antonios said the killing was not out of self-defense because everything was fine that night. Antonios also presented a video from the night of the shooting where a man can be heard screaming for help before a gunshot is heard, followed by more screaming because Petersen did not die immediately. However, it is not shown who is screaming in the video.

Antonios said the jury needs to decide whether Coykendall or Moore shot Petersen because there was only one shooter, but she said the culmination of the beating and the gunshot killed Petersen.

THE DEFENSE OF COYKENDALL

The defense attorney for Coykendall, T. Alan Rogers, called the incident an accidental shooting out of self-defense. Rogers claims that Petersen was a “jealous psychopath” and everything Coykendall did was in reaction to something Petersen had done.

Rogers said Coykendall was trying to protect himself and his family from Petersen, whom they had known to be violent. Rogers claims that Petersen fought with Coykendall and he was in fear for his life.

Furthermore, Rogers said Coykendall was scared when a gun that was not his ended up in the hands of a violent man. The gun used to kill Petersen belonged to Moore, according to Antonios. So Rogers asked the jury to acquit both Coykendall and Moore if it is undetermined who the shooter was.

THE DEFENSE OF MOORE

Moore’s defense attorney, Mark Anthony Raimondo, referred to the incident as “the making of a tragedy,” not a murder.

Raimondo stressed that Moore was not a violent person and he received a call from Coykendall, believing that Coykendall was in crisis and needed help. He said Moore would do anything to help someone in need, even drive 150 miles.

“Good character by itself could be reasonable doubt,” Raimondo said.

Raimondo kept referring to Moore as “my Marine,” as Moore and Coykendall both served in the military.

He said Moore had no motive to kill Petersen and showed pictures of Moore and Coykendall’s hands and clothing after Petersen’s death. Moore had less blood on his hands than Coykendall, suggesting that Coykendall beat Petersen.

In his final statements, Raimondo reminded the jury that a conviction for Moore could impact the rest of his life.

Raimondo turned off his PowerPoint to directly address the jury: “It’s got to end here, it’s got to end with you.”

The jury will get instructions from the judge before deliberating on Monday to reach a verdict on the case.