MARTINEZ — Former San Francisco resident Renato Hughes, 23, is expected to take the stand in the murder trial of his companions Rashad Williams and Christian Foster this week, which is headed into its last leg in Contra Costa County Superior Court.
Hughes faces two counts of murder for the deaths of Foster and Williams who were shot in the back as the three men ran from the Clearlake Park home of Shannon Edmonds on the night of Dec. 7, 2005, during what the prosecution is calling a home invasion robbery.
“It”s important for Renato to tell his story of what happened,” Hughes” San Francisco defense attorney Stuart Hanlon said Monday. He said Hughes will likely testify Wednesday or Thursday.
Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins is prosecuting Hughes for murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and attempted murder under the Provocative Act Doctrine. The doctrine says co-conspirators can be held responsible for death that occurs as a result of a felonious act that provokes a victim to shoot in self-defense according to www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool.
“As long as he was a crime partner, he is responsible for the acts of the people he aids and abets,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins said that principle applies to the beating of Edmonds” son Dale Lafferty, 17, at the time, by one of Hughes” companions that night. Hopkins said based on the description given in court of the assailant”s clothing “and other physical evidence,” he thinks Williams was the man who used an aluminum bat to bludgeon Lafferty. Hughes faces attempted murder for the attack, according to Hopkins.
“The most amazing part of this case is that Shannon Edmonds admitted to vigilante murder,” Hanlon said. Hopkins called Edmonds to the stand last week.
“He (Edmonds) said he shot Christian Foster as he lay on his belly, having been shot four other times, because he didn”t believe the police or the courts would do their jobs and they (the men) would get away. That”s not a provocative act, that”s just old-time murder,” Hanlon said.
Hopkins said he hoped to wrap up his case today, when he planned to play for the jury a recording of the 9-1-1 call Edmonds” common law wife Lori Tyler made that night, and an audio recording from a surveillance camera Edmonds had in his back yard that was pointed away from the activity at the time.
“The audio portion captures the entire sequence of events from the time the back (glass) door was shattered,” Hopkins said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
