Pinyon murderers denied appeals and Supreme Court reviews

Editor’s note: Some of this story is taken from past Town Crier news coverage of this crime.

The California Appeals Court, District 4, denied a rehearing and the Supreme Court denied a review of Robert Lars Pape, 33, and Cristin Conrad Smith, 32, who in 2018 were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 2006 triple-murder in Pinyon Pines of a man and two women.

The Appeals Court handed down its decision on Smith June 29 2021, and on Pape June 30. The California Supreme Court denied their reviews Aug. 25 2021.

The two filed their appeals Aug. 23 2018, just two months after a jury found both men guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Jon Hayward, 55, and Vicki Friedli, 53. Pape was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Becky Friedli, 18, Vicki’s daughter.

The Riverside County Superior Court then handed down its sentencing of life in prison without parole Aug. 10 2018.

The murders occurred Sept. 17 2006. Becky’s body was found burning in a wheelbarrow outside the house. The other bodies were found inside the burning home. Hayward died from a 12-gauge shotgun wound to the chest. Vicki’s death was caused from a wound to the head, possibly from a Glock handgun. Pape was Becky’s former boyfriend.

Both Pape and Smith had originally been arrested and charged for the murders in March 2014, but charges were dropped later that year. Smith was 17 and Pape was 18 at the time of the murders.

When Michael Hestrin took office as Riverside County district attorney in January 2015, he vowed to have the case reviewed again, which led to their re-arrests.