Cee Vee liquor murder case goes to jury
The surveillance video played over and over before the jury of seven women and five men, showing the final moments in the lives of Steve Hall and Brian Gregorio.
The two were shot to death during a notorious robbery at Cee Vee's Liquor and Couch Potato Video in Highland the night of March 16, 2005.
Family and friends of the two victims choked back tears as the video played Monday during closing arguments in the murder trial of suspects Christoper Turelle White and Darwin Lamont Richardson in San Bernardino Superior Court.
White, the 21-year-old alleged gunman, and a second suspect, Darwin Lamont Richardson, 22, were tried together, but each had separate juries. Both juries heard closing arguments on Monday, White's in the morning and Richardson's in the afternoon.
Both juries are now in deliberation and will decide the fate of the two men.
A third suspect, Tristan Darnell Allan, is representing himself and awaits trial. He is White's brother.
The surveillance video was the crux of prosecutor Dan Detienne's evidence. It shows the alleged gunman, face partially veiled by a blue bandanna, jump the counter and fatally shoot store owner Hall, 54, in the face and clerk Gregorio, 25, in the back of the neck before fleeing the store.
Both Hall and Gregorio complied with their assailants during the robbery and kept their hands in the air, Detienne said.
"What Christopher White did was a cold, calculated killing. Actually, it was an execution of two people just trying to do their job," Detienne said. "And for what? Some petty cash and a handful of lottery tickets."
Two of the suspects tried cashing in the lottery tickets at a 7-Eleven in Corona following the robbery, which was one of the factors that led to their capture.
Detienne told the jury the evidence supports a conviction of first degree murder.
All three suspects face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first degree murder.
White's attorney, Richard Crouter, said it wasn't in dispute as to whether or not White killed the two men, but rather White's intent.
He said White was coerced to commit the robbery, and was told the gun he was using, a .22-caliber pistol, was not powerful enought to kill anyone.
"He was in a situation where he was led, and to a certain extent, coerced by a number of older people, one his brother," Crouter said.
White shot Hall and Gregorio because he thought they were going to "jump him," and he panicked, Crouter said.
He said the evidence justifies, at most, a conviction of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.
For Hall's and Gregorio's relatives, having to sit through the horrific surveillance footage of the robbery over and over again has been one of the most emotionally taxing experiences of their lives.
"It's very emotionally draining, but we have to go through it, for Brian's sake," said Gregorio's mother, Evangeline Gregario, following Monday's proceedings.
She doesn't buy Crouter's argument that White was forced to commit the robbery, or that he was acting in self defense.
"Those guys had their own choice, and they chose to kill," Gregorio said. "My son wasn't given a chance."
Hall's niece, Melissa Romo, said it was very discouraging to hear Crouter's theories on coercion and self defense.
"It's kind of insulting to the families," said Romo. "We're just glad it's almost over."
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