GUILTY CA - David Wicks, 54, clerk burned alive at gas station, Burney, 21 Dec 2016

[Lilibet]

If this is personal, it's hard to imagine what the motive could be. Wicks doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would have an enemy. I expect JV magnified something minor with the help of meth, if drug use was involved. JMO, MOO

 

[Indy Anna]

If this is personal, it's hard to imagine what the motive could be. Wicks doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would have an enemy. I expect JV magnified something minor with the help of meth, if drug use was involved. JMO, MOO

Could JV have tried purchasing a common ingredient used in making meth from the gas station in quantity? I don't know if items like cough medicine are available at gas stations, but if it was a simple ingredient such as that and JV had been turned away from drug stores, might he have developed enough of a rapport with David to think David would let such a purchase slide with a wink, but instead David became suspicious?

Just a thought. It was such a senseless killing.

 

[Lilibet]

Could JV have tried purchasing a common ingredient used in making meth from the gas station in quantity? I don't know if items like cough medicine are available at gas stations, but if it was a simple ingredient such as that and JV had been turned away from drug stores, might he have developed enough of a rapport with David to think David would let such a purchase slide with a wink, but instead David became suspicious?

Just a thought. It was such a senseless killing.

It's quite possible JV did attempt to purchase meth-making ingredients in quantity. Many, if not all of the ingredients used for making meth could be purchased at a gas station with a store. I won't post any links for obvious reasons, but googling "ingredients for shake and bake meth" (small doses not requiring a meth lab or cooking) will give detailed instructions. I guess it's time to erase my search history!! Here are some common ingredients...

Pseudoephedrine tablets (CA has such a loose law that you can buy it OTC whereas in OR we need an Rx).
The "ice" in certain types of blue ice packs
Lithium batteries
Brake fluid
Coleman lantern fuel (I wonder if JV used this for accelerant)
Iodized salt
Drain cleaner
Coffee filters
Acetone (nail polish remover)
Vicks nasal inhalers (but only Vicks brand!)
32 oz bottles of Gatorade or plastic soda bottles (empty)
Canning (Mason) jars
and more

Recipes vary so not all of the listed ingredients are used. Shake and bake requires fewer packages of pseudoephedrine than a full meth lab does. This is made in Mason jars or drink bottles, which often are discarded along roads, etc. The residue is extremely toxic, so don't touch and call LE. The process is extremely dangerous and the bottles can explode into flame while they are being handled.

We don't know if JV was involved in meth or tried to purchase some of these items at the Shell station, but if DW commented on the purchases, or refused to sell them, it might have created a motive. There is a purchase limit of three packages at a time, but nothing in the law about how often a purchase can be made. Theoretically, one could purchase three packages, leave the store, return in five minutes and buy more. CA law does not require reporting suspicious purchases of pseudoephedrine.

http://www.namsdl.org/library/1A09503A-F9D0-6A20-9BD7F72C4717F2F4/

 

[Lilibet]

At a hearing Feb. 21, the lengthy prelimary hearing was scheduled for March 28. A judge will be assigned March 24. The decision whether to seek the death penalty won't be made until after the preliminary hearing determines that there is enough evidence to go to trial.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...g-set-man-charged-burney-fire-death/98204254/

 

[IllinoisMissing]

At a hearing Feb. 21, the lengthy prelimary hearing was scheduled for March 28. A judge will be assigned March 24. The decision whether to seek the death penalty won't be made until after the preliminary hearing determines that there is enough evidence to go to trial.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...g-set-man-charged-burney-fire-death/98204254/

Thank you. I tried not long ago to find an update on this.

Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk

 

[Lilibet]

There will be a trial. The date was to be set April 7, but I haven't found any further information.

The court found that there was enough evidence to go forward with the first degree murder charge and the special circumstance of murder with torture.

http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/sh...ath-of-store-clerk-heading-to-trial/421234945

 

[Lilibet]

This nice article about David Wicks was also picked up by USA Today.

“You could just walk into that mini-mart … just those little relations with him, you developed, you know, just respect for the guy and love for him,” said Elizabeth Tyler, director of communications for Burney Disposal Inc. “I mean, he was just the kind of person you could be around five minutes and truly you would just walk out and say, ‘Man, what a nice guy.’”

http://www.redding.com/story/news/c...s-murder-david-wicks-passion-lives/100193950/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...s-murder-david-wicks-passion-lives/100193950/

 

[Lilibet]

A little more info on the preliminary hearing.

Members of the Shasta County Sheriff's Office testified in court revealing details of the case.
The prosecution also showed the video of the moments leading up to the incident in which a man on a bicycle rides up to the gas station and douses wicks with a flammable liquid before setting him on fire.
http://www.actionnewsnow.com/story/...-appears-in-court-da-releases-video-of-attack


It's like pulling teeth to get any info about this case! The DA will not seek the death penalty. A trial date was to be decided, but I can't find it. I'll keep looking.

http://www.foxsportsredding.com/201...-gas-station-cashier-wont-face-death-penalty/

 

[Lilibet]

This is interesting. A report possibly indicating the innocence of Venegas wasn't received by his defense attorney until after the preliminary hearing. The murder case was dismissed but immediately refilled by the DA, adding a new charge of aggravated mayhem.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/c...rney-murder-case-dismissed-refiled/101026712/

 

[Lilibet]

This explains why I couldn't find the trial date that was supposed to be set last month. Apparently they held a new preliminary hearing today that included testimony from a man who says the man he saw riding the bicycle in yellow rain gear was not Vanegas. Information about this witness did not surface until after the first preliminary hearing. The judge said this was not deliberate.

Vanegas should hear tomorrow if his case will go to trial. I assume the trial date will be announced later.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/05/11/murder-defendant-may-learn-trial-fate/101545360/

 

[Lilibet]

Venegas has been ordered again to stand trial. He will be arraigned May 26 and the trial date will probably be set then. Regarding a motive....

But Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Curtis Woods, prosecuting the case, said Venegas is the killer, although he did not provide a possible motive for the horrific murder.
Nevertheless, he did rule out robbery.
"This wasn't a robbery that went bad," he said. "It (the murder) was done with a purpose" and to inflict pain. "He's doing it for his own sadistic purpose."
http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...dered-stand-trial-death-burney-man/101607670/

 

[Indy Anna]

Thank you for your updates, Lilibet. I searched for updates Thurs night and couldn't find anything.

 

[Lilibet]

Thank you for your updates, Lilibet. I searched for updates Thurs night and couldn't find anything.

After tearing out my hair, I finally discovered that the Record Searchlight in Redding keeps up on the story. But they don't show up when I just Google Juan Venegas (trial, Redding, etc), go figure. I finally Googled Juan Venegas Record Searchlight...and voila! Now you can find it.

 

[Lilibet]

I can't find any news about a trial or hearings. The wheels of justice grind slowly.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

http://www.redding.com/videos/news/local/2017/08/01/murder-trial-underway/104197554/

The murder trial for Juana Venegas began today.

 

[Lilibet]

http://www.redding.com/videos/news/local/2017/08/01/murder-trial-underway/104197554/

The murder trial for Juana Venegas began today.

Thanks. That's good to know. None of the videos on the Record Searchlight website will play for me. A cIrcle just goes around and around. Maybe there will be a written story later.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Thanks. That's good to know. None of the videos on the Record Searchlight website will play for me. A cIrcle just goes around and around. Maybe there will be a written story later.

You aren't missing much. There's no audio with the video due to "court policy".

This is all it says:

The murder trial for Juana Venegas began Tuesday with opening statements and a video showing a man purported to be Venegas setting a Burney man on fire.

 

[Indy Anna]

You aren't missing much. There's no audio with the video due to "court policy".

This is all it says:

The murder trial for Juana Venegas began Tuesday with opening statements and a video showing a man purported to be Venegas setting a Burney man on fire.

I finally got the video to work, but getting even that much wasn't easy. Thank you for keeping us up to date. I was just thinking of David yesterday, but cannot find recent articles.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Trial starts for man accused of setting clerk on fire

http://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2017/08/02/trial-starts-man-accused-setting-clerk-fire/528658001/

Jurors in the murder trial of a Redding man accused of setting a Burney man on fire in December got their first look Tuesday at a brief clip of a much longer surveillance video showing the horrific crime as his trial got underway in Shasta County Superior Court.

But his defense attorney, Michael Borges, said the man dressed in a yellow rain suit and wearing a black hoodie and gloves shown spraying gasoline on Wicks and setting him on fire is not Venegas.

"Mr. Juan Venegas did not commit this crime," Borges said, blaming another man, possibly two, in the Burney man's murder.

 

[Lilibet]

The Record Searchlight seems to have dropped the story of the trial since their article 8/1. What's up with that? Can anyone find anything?