Opening statements read in former UC Davis student stabbing trial
The 2023 stabbings rocked the City of Davis, an otherwise peaceful college town.
Dominguez is being charged with murder, attempted murder, and unlawful use of a deadly weapon.
The trial finally began after Dominguez was formerly found to be mentally unfit to stand trial and sent to Atascadero State Hospital for treatment. He has since been deemed competent for trial.
Dominguez is being charged with murder, attempted murder, and unlawful use of a deadly weapon.
The opening statements revealed several new and important details to the 18-member jury.
The prosecution says the first victim, David Breaux, was stabbed 31 times, and a new leather knife sheath located near his body. Breaux was found sitting upright on a bench, but the prosecution says most of Breaux's stab wounds were on his back, which is inconsistent with that position.
We also learned the second victim, UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm, was stabbed 52 times, mostly in the vital portions of the body. Photographs revealed several stab wounds around his heart. The prosecution also said a nearby doctor heard the victim screaming, ran out to help, and saw the defendant ride away on Najm's bike.
The third victim, Kimberlee Guillory, an unhoused woman, was allegedly stabbed twice through her tent.
The prosecution also alleges the suspect was caught after a resident reported him to law enforcement. When officials allegedly closed in on him, they asked to see his hands and found a bloody knife in his backpack.
The prosecutors also detail how they believe Dominguez purchased the deadly weapon.
'He searches on Amazon on his account for a combat knife, hunting knife, and a combat knife, and he makes a selection of a double-edged dagger that he purchases.'
The defense claims the El Salvador-born former honor student and athlete began to have symptoms of schizophrenia after his first year at UC Davis. His attorney said he believed he was being directed by supernatural beings.
The defense told the court that his ex-girlfriend allegedly claimed he became withdrawn, and told friends he was hearing voices, and co-workers say he stopped showing up to his job.
'What is not in dispute is that Dominguez did the physical act that caused the deaths of David Breaux, Kareem Abu Najam and injured Kimberly Gilbert,' the defense attorney says. 'The question that will be presented to you is, what was Carlos Reales Dominguez's specific intent and mental state when he did those physical acts, and what was happening in his mind? The evidence will show that it was a mind that had been devastated by severe and debilitating mental disease.'
While in the hospital, he was forced to take medication.
The defense attorney says Dominguez's symptoms are less pronounced but still present.
Several witnesses also shared more details about the murder of David Bureau.
The first witness was David Breaux's sister, Anne Maria Breaux. She testified that her brother, known as 'compassion guy' was a Stanford University graduate, former high school teacher, and case manager for at-risk youth in Los Angeles. He struggled with depression, moved to the City of Davis in 2009, and became unhoused in 2018.
Ian Haliburton, an ornithologist and former UC Davis Graduate student, and Aiden Reynolds, a current UC Davis Student, testified that they were monitoring birds in Central Park when they discovered Breaux's body.
The court also heard from several law enforcement officials who were on the scene when the bureau's body was discovered.
'The exterior of his clothing had notable puncture marks on the upper torso area of his body, there was a saturation around those puncture marks that was red in color, it appeared to be blood,' Detective Alex Torres with the Davis Police Department testified.
The detective also noted that Breaux was wearing four layers of clothing on his upper body, which he says is notable because of how deeply the knife cut through the garments and punctured the body.
Torres also says he found two items near the body- a blanket and a leather knife sheath.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kilmar Abrego Garcia highlights the Trump administration's criminal vengeance, too
Kilmar Abrego Garcia became the face of the Trump administration's cruelly incompetent immigration agenda, when the government illegally sent him to El Salvador and resisted remedying its unlawful action — until it finally relented and returned him to the U.S., where it had criminal charges waiting for him. In a new motion, his lawyers say that those criminal charges must be dismissed on the grounds of selective and vindictive prosecution. Writing that Abrego 'was charged because he refused to acquiesce in the government's violation of his due process rights,' his lawyers argued that his criminal case 'results from the government's concerted effort to punish him for having the audacity to fight back, rather than accept a brutal injustice.' Noting that he brought a civil lawsuit for his return while he was 'being tortured in El Salvador' earlier this year, they alleged that senior government officials responded by seeking 'vengeance' and beginning 'a public campaign to punish Mr. Abrego for daring to fight back, culminating in the criminal investigation that led to the charges in this case.' The motion argues that the campaign kicked off with Vice President J.D. Vance falsely calling Abrego 'a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here,' with other executive branch officials joining the effort to publicly criticize him, including by calling him a terrorist. Abrego pleaded not guilty to the charges of illegally transporting undocumented immigrants. But regardless of whether the government can prove his guilt on those charges beyond a reasonable doubt if the case goes to trial, any reasonable observer can see the vengeful political motivation behind him facing those charges in the first place. Yet, can that reality lead to dismissal of criminal charges? As I noted when Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., recently filed her own such motion to dismiss charges that she assaulted federal officers at an immigration facility, selective and vindictive prosecution is a high legal bar to clear. Abrego's lawyers acknowledge this, writing that these motions 'are infrequently made and rarely succeed.' But they insist that 'if there has ever been a case for dismissal on those grounds, this is that case.' They recalled that the criminal case centers on a 2022 car stop from which Abrego was released without charge. The only thing that changed in the intervening years, they wrote, 'was that the government unlawfully renditioned Mr. Abrego to El Salvador, and he challenged that illegal conduct. As a matter of timing, it is clear that it was that lawsuit — and its effects on the government — that prompted the government to reevaluate the 2022 traffic stop and bring this case.' The government will have a chance to respond before the judge overseeing the case in Tennessee weighs in. Before deciding on such motions, judges can order discovery and an evidentiary hearing to assist in their decision. Presumably, the administration doesn't want a formal public airing focused on its motivations, so expect the Justice Department to argue in its forthcoming response that Abrego's motion should be denied without a hearing or discovery. The motion comes ahead of Abrego's potential release from criminal custody on Friday, though the government has signaled its intent to put him back into immigration proceedings, which would move forward in Maryland (where he had been living), separately from the Tennessee criminal case. As for the criminal case, it would be a fitting end for a court to dismiss it based on recognizing the vengeance that's plain for all to see. And though, as Abrego's lawyers noted, such motions are rare, there have been at least two recently, the other coming from McIver, whose charges also came in response to scrutiny of the administration's immigration actions. While we don't yet know whether these latest motions will succeed, if this vengeful administration continues along a similar trajectory in President Donald Trump's second term, such motions may no longer be rare. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Florida matriarch accused of orchestrating son-in-law's murder faces trial this week
Donna Adelson was arrested in November 2023 after trying to board a one-way flight to Vietnam following her son's conviction in Dan Markel's murder. TALLAHASSEE, FL – Donna Adelson, the matriarch of an affluent South Florida family accused of orchestrating the notorious murder-for-hire plot that killed her former son-in-law Dan Markel, is set to face trial this week. Jury selection began Aug. 19 in the case of Adelson, who is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the killing of Markel, a Florida State University law professor. It comes nearly a year after her first scheduled trial imploded over conflicts of interest involving her lawyer. In Tallahassee, where Markel was killed in his driveway in July 2014, Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett said he expects jury selection to end on Aug. 21, with opening statements expected to begin that afternoon. Adelson, who has pleaded not guilty, is the fifth person to be charged in Markel's murder, including four people who have been convicted: her son Charlie Adelson, the two men hired to carry out the killing, and Charlie Adelson's ex-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua. Adelson and her husband were arrested in November 2023 after they attempted to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, a non-extradition country. A judge in Tallahassee recently ruled the state can use the attempted flight, which came days after her son's conviction, to show "consciousness of guilt." Prosecutors are expected to argue again that after Markel and Wendi Adelson's acrimonious divorce in 2012, her family wanted him out of the way badly enough to have him killed so she could relocate with their kids from Tallahassee to South Florida. Here's what to know about the case that has drawn national attention for more than a decade. What happened to Dan Markel? Markel, who was 41 at the time of his death, was a Canadian-born law professor and legal scholar. He was married to fellow Florida State University professor Wendi Adelson and they had two young sons, but they separated in 2012 and battled through an extremely bitter divorce. On the morning of July 18, 2014, Markel was fatally shot at point blank range in his garage after he dropped off his two sons at day care and went to the gym. Investigators tied the killing to two Miami men, Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia. Both men had connections to the Adelson family through Magbanua, Charlie Adelson's ex-girlfriend, who was on the payroll at the family's dental clinic in South Florida. In Charlie Adelson's 2023 trial, prosecutors said Markel's murder "stemmed from the desperate desire of the Adelson family" for Wendi and her two sons to have the freedom to move to South Florida. In divorce proceedings, Markel won 50/50 custody of the children as well as an order prohibiting Wendi Adelson from moving them closer to her family. Markel also had filed a motion to prevent Donna Adelson from having unsupervised time with her grandchildren after hearing she had made disparaging remarks about him in front of his children. Who has been convicted for Markel's murder? Rivera took a plea deal in 2016 and flipped on Garcia and Magbanua, the mother of Garcia's children. Rivera got 19 years in prison in exchange for ratting out his cohorts. Both Garcia, found guilty in 2019, and Magbanua, found guilty in her second trial last year, are serving life in prison. In November 2023, Charlie Adelson was found guilty of multiple counts, including first-degree murder, and is currently serving a life sentence in South Dakota. He testified in his own defense that he was extorted by Markel's killers through his then-girlfriend, but the jury rejected that theory. Donna Adelson tried to flee the country; spoke of suicide, officials say Authorities said Donna and Harvey Adelson's attempt to flee the country forced their hand in taking her into custody. State Attorney Jack Campbell previously told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the state did not have the evidence to arrest Harvey Adelson, but had enough to arrest Donna Adelson. "That's what forced our hand," Campbell said. Ahead of her arrest, Donna Adelson made several phone calls to her son in jail in which she said she was putting her financial affairs in order and considering whether to leave the country or take her own life. "Donna discusses plans for a suicide, but also discusses plans to flee to a non-extradition country," the affidavit says. What to expect in the Donna Adelson trial Ahead of Donna Adelson's trial, there's been much speculation over who may take the stand and who won't. Wendi Adelson, Markel's ex-wife whom the state considers an uncharged co-conspirator, will return to the stand and testify, under a limited immunity deal, as she has in all the previous trials. She has long denied any involvement or knowledge of the murder conspiracy in sometimes testy exchanges with prosecutors. Prosecutors will undoubtedly grill Wendi Adelson about what role her mother played in the post-divorce custody battle. Charlie Adelson could potentially testify for the defense as could Rob Adelson, a New York doctor who had a falling out with his family after Markel's murder. It remains unknown if Donna Adelson will testify in her own defense – a decision that proved perilous in her son's trial. Tim Jansen, a Tallahassee criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor who has watched the case closely, predicted a contentious "mud fight" between the state and defense. "They're going to fight everything," he said. "I don't think it's going to be an amicable trial. It's going to be a lot more bruising trial, really. The defense is going to try to come out strong and attack each and every witness." Contributing: C.A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michael Franti cancels tour as more sexual abuse allegations surface
Michael Franti has canceled his upcoming tour, including a scheduled Bay Area concert, as accusations of sexual abuse continue to build against the musician. 'This is one of the hardest messages I've ever had to write,' Franti posted on social media Wednesday, Aug. 20. 'Recent events online have left me disheartened and my spirit isn't in the place it needs to be to get on stage and give you the joy and energy you deserve.' The Oakland-born frontman for Spearhead and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy added, 'The remaining dates on the Welcome to the Family Tour will be canceled. I'm devastated to disappoint you, but I hope you understand that I need this pause to be with my family.' A concert was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26, at Saratoga's Mountain Winery. Promoter AXS said tickets would be refunded automatically. The tour cancellation comes less than a week after Spanish American singer Victoria Canal alleged in an Instagram post that she was groomed and abused by a 'very powerful' older musician when she was 19. Canal did not name Franti in her Aug. 11 post, but she has previously credited him with discovering her in 2018 and inviting her on tour. Later that same day, Franti, a frequent face at Bay Area festivals such as Stern Grove and BottleRock Napa Valley, took to his Instagram account to acknowledge a romantic relationship with an unnamed artist outside his marriage but denied any abuse. 'The relationship was completely consensual, based on mutual feelings and attraction,' he wrote. Canal described the man as controlling and abusive in private. She alleged that he photographed her without consent and isolated her from others, saying the experience 'plagued my body, spirit, and mind' throughout her 20s. A few days later, Canal shared similar allegations sent to her by Carla Swanson, who co-founded Soulshine yoga resort hotel in Bali with Franti in 2011, and Wyoming musician Makina Kaili. Yet another voice joined the controversy on Wednesday. Writer Minda Lane published a lengthy Substack post recounting her experience with Franti between 2008 and 2017. She described herself as a longtime fan and admitted she initially welcomed his attention but later came to see a troubling pattern of behavior. She claimed that Franti once stripped naked in front of her shortly after they met, later pushed her into sexualized exchanges over webcam and alternated between affectionate and dismissive treatment that left her confused and seeking his approval. Lane also recalled instances she described as public 'misconduct,' including what she said was an appearance at a festival in jeans with 'a hole in the crotch and no underwear.' 'I didn't think of it as being groomed,' Lane wrote. 'Instead, I thought a dream was coming true. I thought I had manifested the experience through the sheer ardor and conviction I carried for his music and his causes. 'What I realize now is that he probably never meant the sweet or complimentary things he said to me,' she continued. 'He only said what he needed to keep me in thrall so I would remain available when he wanted to use me.'
