Robert Pape, 30, and Cristin Smith, 29, are appealing their convictions for murdering three Pinyon residents in 2006. In June, a Riverside County Superior Court jury found both men guilty of the deaths of Jon Hayward, Vicki Friedli and Becky Friedli, Vicki’s daughter.
Pape alone was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Becky and both were found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Hayward and Vicki.
On Aug. 10, Judge Bernard Schwartz sentenced both to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Announcing the sentence, Schwartz said, “Mr. Pape, having been convicted on Count 1 — that being a charge of second-degree murder — normally the sentence for that would be 15 years to life. However, because the special circumstance was found true under Penal Code Section 190.43, the crime is converted, along with the Count 2 and Count 3 findings of the jury of first-degree murder, in that there are multiple murders, the special circumstance compels and requires the court under the law to sentence Mr. Pape to life without the possibility of parole.”
On Aug. 14, Jeff Moore, Pape’s attorney, filed the notice that he would be appealing the conviction and sentence, and Smith’s attorney did likewise.
