The decision whether to try a San Jose man for the March killing
of Hollister resident Elizabeth Esther Gomez will be delayed.
Hollister – The decision whether to try a San Jose man for the March killing of Hollister resident Elizabeth Esther Gomez will be delayed.
Samuel Ethan Turner, 25, will be back in court on Nov. 28, when a judge is set to schedule a hearing for prosecutors and defense attorneys to present evidence. Based on that evidence, a judge will decide whether Turner should be tried for the death of the 31-year-old Gomez.
A judge was scheduled to hear the evidence in the case next week. Turner’s attorney, Harry Damkar, said the hearing was delayed for more time to prepare his defense.
On March 13, authorities found Gomez dead in the bedroom of her second-story apartment on Prospect Avenue in Hollister. Turner was found in the bedroom with her body, police reported at the time.
Gomez had been strangled and stabbed in the neck multiple times.
District Attorney Candice Hooper charged Turner with first-degree murder and a special allegation of mayhem, which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
In May, Turner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges.
