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Records: Plea deals in place for Travis Dairy homicide suspects
Suspects in the fatal robbery at Travis Dairy in Fairfield include, left to right, Dezmon Frazier, James A. Young, Osis Smith, Chelsea Johnson and James E. Williamson. (Daily Republic photos)
FAIRFIELD — Plea deals have been reached between prosecutors and defense attorneys in the murder case for the death of the owner of Travis Dairy, according to court records.
Two months ago, James E. Williamson, 16, James Young, Osis “O Money” Smith, Dezmon “Young D” Frazier, each 18, and Chelsea Johnson, 19, sat through three days of testimony in a probable cause hearing detailing their alleged roles in the robbery of the East Travis Boulevard shop one evening in June 2011.
The store’s owner, 70-year-old Ho Kim, was assaulted during the robbery and died shortly after the suspects fled the store with a small amount of cash and several packs of Newport cigarettes.
All five defendants are scheduled to be in court Thursday for change of plea hearings.
Attorneys for the defendants on Wednesday declined to discuss the specifics of the plea deals, which were informally agreed to two weeks ago. Deputy District Attorney Barry Taira also declined to provide specific details of the plea deals, saying further discussion with Kim’s family members was planned before a hastily scheduled court hearing set for Thursday morning.
The third day of the probable cause hearing ended with Judge Donna Stashyn suggesting that lawyers look at possible plea deals. Stashyn then scheduled the probable cause hearing to resume Feb. 25. The postponement came after the doctor who performed the autopsy on Kim gave details of his cause of death that defense attorneys have claimed was different from what she had previously described at prior court hearings.
Dr. Susan Hogan said Kim, who had a history of heart problems, had “literally been scared to death.”
Reach Jess Sullivan at 427-6919 or jsullivan@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jsullivandr.
Jess Sullivan
Discussion | 6 comments
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AnonFebruary 21, 2013 - 8:34 am
Forget a plea deal!! They deserve to ROT!! They took a local business man's life for a few bucks and newports!! They deserve no deal!!! They should have thought about that before murdering a person who has connected with the community!
Reply |CD BrooksFebruary 21, 2013 - 8:38 am
I suppose we're going to hear "evidence" suggesting something different? Wow, this is not going to sit well with the citizenry here...
Reply |FF64February 21, 2013 - 11:26 am
Burglary, Robbery, Assault w/Pepper Spray, causing the elderly victim to die, either by a heart attack, respiratory arrest, all equals MURDER!!! Let them plea to the Robbery and 2nd degree Murder and they can be 2 years into their 18-20 year sentences. If the DA rolls over, (and he will) they'll plea to involuntary manslaughter and never see a prison! We really need to find someone to run against DuBain's money. He can't buy the job again!!!
Reply |ceeFebruary 21, 2013 - 11:31 am
Those kids are young. That's about twelve million to lock them up for life. Both you guys probably have never done time. Trust and believe give each one ten years, ten FULL years. Bet you when they get out they are changed people. Probably christians, thumping their bibles.
Reply |Rich GiddensFebruary 21, 2013 - 1:12 pm
This is an issue that is dear to the communist heart of Barack Obama and his terrorist pal Bill Ayers. They both sponsored a symposium on life sentences for underage murderers--something Obama and Ayers both oppose. They both want special rules for special people despite what the 14th Amendment says. And apparently, so do you.
Reply |Former FF residentFebruary 21, 2013 - 11:38 pm
Frankly I am shocked that we haven't read testimony about how hard they had it growing up in FF and how they were abused or poor or any other excuse attorneys come up with to justify why their loser clients decided to rob somebody.
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