HOLLISTER
Samuel E. Turner, accused of the strangling and stabbing death of Elizabeth Esther Gomez nearly two years ago, appeared in court today represented by attorney Harry Damkar who asked that the hearing be continued while he considers matters he believes “are not properly before the court.”
Gomez, a 31-year-old Hollister resident, was strangled and stabbed to death March 13, 2007, in her apartment bedroom. Police responded to a 911 call from Gomez’s residence and found her dead.
Turner, age 25 at the time and a resident of San Jose, was inside the apartment when they arrived, authorities said, and had suffered what Hollister Police Capt. Bob Brooks said appeared to be a self-inflicted knife wound to the scrotum.
Damkar told the Free Lance he needs time to consider the prosecution’s allegation of “an additional special circumstance … that the defendant tortured the victim.”
“There is no evidence of torture – no medical evidence, nothing in the report, nothing in the formal charges,” Damkar said.
Damkar contended now that he alleged there is no evidence of the other suspected special circumstance, death by mayhem, “they are attempting to bring in this new special circumstance to make this a capital case.”
The victim in this case was the sister of newly elected Hollister City Councilman Victor Gomez.
Judge Steven Sanders continued the hearing to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 24.
