More |
Evidence Seized In Surfer Slaying Case Shown In Court
New Details Emerge In Beating Case
POSTED: 1:17 pm PDT May 14,
2008
UPDATED: 6:24 pm PDT May 14,
2008
SAN DIEGO -- The preliminary hearing for the men accused of killing a professional surfer continued on Wednesday with prosecutors revealing evidence seized from one of the defendant's bedrooms.
NEW IMAGES: Preliminary Hearing |
Watch Video
Courtroom Blog
Read Court Documents Related to the Case
Images: Bird Rock Bandits
Images: Vigil Held For Murdered Surfer
Images: Surfer Dies After Group Beating In La Jolla
Images: Photos of Emery Kauanui
Seth Cravens, 22; Eric House, 21; Orlando Osuna, 23; Matthew Yanke, 21; and Henri “Hank” Hendricks, 22, are accused of killing Emery Kauanui, 24, last May. Prosecutors have alleged that Cravens delivered the fatal blow to Kauanui on May 24, 2007. Authorities said Kauanui fell back and hit his head. He died four days later at a hospital.
Homicide Detective Mike Holden of the San Diego Police Department testified on day five of the hearing about witness accounts as well as items found in a search of Craven’s home.Search warrants filed in the case against the men allege they were part of a gang known as the Bird Rock Bandits. The documents claim that the accused killers allegedly wanted to be members of the Hell's Angels outlaw motorcycle gang and that they were also allegedly anti-Semitic.Prosecutor Sophia Roach displayed photos taken from Craven's bedroom in connection with the case."We found numerous items with 'Bird Rock Bandits' on it and a couple of Hells Angels stickers," Holden testified. He also said he found two knives and wooden club with "BRB" written on it. One of the knives had a Nazi swastika on it, Holden said.Authorities also collected a pair of tennis shoes with "Bird" written on one foot and "Rock" on the other.Holden also testified that witnesses told him they heard a fight in the early morning hours of May 24, 2007.One witness, who knew both Kauanui and his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Grosso, said that he heard yelling at around 1:30 a.m. Holden testified that the witness said he heard a group of males yelling: “F--- him up. F--- him up. Keep hitting him.” The witness then said he heard Grosso yell, “Seth get off. He’s on the ground, he’s done. Seth get off.”Detective Sandy Opplinger of the San Diego Police Department also testified. She said she spoke with Hendricks who said that the night of the beating, he, Yanke, House and Cravens all drove to the Brew House in Yanke's car.Opplinger said Hendricks told her Yanke had been kicked out of the bar, but it was not related to an incident where Kauanui spilled a drink on House.She said Hendricks heard Kauanui and House speaking on the cell phone and heard Kauanui say, "Just come on over here."On their way, Hendricks said Cravens was pumping up House, saying, "You can take him." Hendricks described the fight and said he pulled Grosso off of the men when she tried to intervene, Opplinger said.Hendricks told her he then saw Cravens throw a punch with his left hand thrown to Kauanui's head."Emery's head buckled 'like a bobblehead doll,'" according to Hendricks, she said. He then went straight back with arms at his side and hit the ground.The men each face up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted.Previous Stories:
NEW IMAGES: Preliminary Hearing |
Courtroom Blog
Read Court Documents Related to the Case
Images: Bird Rock Bandits
Images: Vigil Held For Murdered Surfer
Images: Surfer Dies After Group Beating In La Jolla
Images: Photos of Emery Kauanui
Seth Cravens, 22; Eric House, 21; Orlando Osuna, 23; Matthew Yanke, 21; and Henri “Hank” Hendricks, 22, are accused of killing Emery Kauanui, 24, last May. Prosecutors have alleged that Cravens delivered the fatal blow to Kauanui on May 24, 2007. Authorities said Kauanui fell back and hit his head. He died four days later at a hospital.
- May 13, 2008: Witnesses Describe Surfer's Beating Death
- May 13, 2008: Officer: Woman Saw Men Attack Surfer
- May 12, 2008: Judge Hears About Bird Rock Bandits' Alleged Fights
- February 8, 2008: Surfer Slaying Suspects To Challenge Gang Allegations
- September 14, 2007: Judge Lowers Bail For Surfer's Accused Killer
- September 21, 2007: Bird Rock Bandits Back In Courts
- June 8, 2007: Photos Show Surfer Partying With Alleged Killer
- June 7, 2007: Bail Reduced For Men Accused In Surfer Slaying
- June 1, 2007: Prosecutor: Bird Rock Bandits Killed Surfer
- May 31, 2007: Men Accused In Surfer's Slaying Enter Pleas
- May 30, 2007: Vigil Held To Mourn Beaten Surfer
- May 29, 2007: Police Make More Arrests In Surfer's Beating Death
- May 29, 2007: Surfer Dies After Group Beating In La Jolla
Copyright 2008 by NBCSandiego.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.








