Defense Opens Case in Wolfington, Silva Murder Trial

by Antoinnette Borbon

After finishing the testimony in the state’s case in the murder trial of Billy Wolfington and Shannon Silva, who are being charged with stabbing to death a West Sacramento man, the defense began its opening statement.

Ron Johnson, Deputy Public Defender for Billy Wolfington, told a story of a man who had been addicted to meth but was trying to quit. He told jurors Wolfington had one last slip up with drugs. He gave into his addiction after being clean since he was out of prison in May of 2011. Johnson explained that Wolfington set out to find drugs.

He went to the Flamingo Motel in West Sacramento where he knew he would find them. Wolfington had a laptop he was trying to sell for money, but his attempt was futile. While Wolfington was there, he and his friend Silva met up with a girl who was staying in one of the motel rooms. Johnson stated Silva knew the girl and before they knew it, they were all partying in her room.

A few other friends showed up in the room, one of which was Bobby Brittenum. Johnson said they were drinking, smoking pot and smoking meth. He said that after a while, Kiki, whose room they had been partying in, decided she wanted everyone to leave, so her friend Carlitha Gordon told them it was time to go.

Bobby Brittenum decided he was not leaving and stated if he did he was coming back. He told Wolfington if he came back he was going to “pop, crack him,” or something to that effect. Wolfington took it to mean he was going to come back with a gun. Johnson stated it was then that Wolfington stood near the door telling Mr. Brittenum he was not going to leave.

Shortly after Mr. Brittenum made the statement to Wolfington, a fight broke out. Punches were going back and forth and, at some point, Mr. Brittenum had reached toward his pocket to pull out what Wolfington thought to be a knife. It was at that time Wolfington said that in defense he began stabbing Bobby.

Mr. Johnson explained it was in a self-defense mode. He refreshed the memory of his question to the jurors during their selection process about “walking in another man’s shoes.”

He said it was not gang-related, since nothing had been said as the stabbing took place and there had been no talk of gangs in any conversation beforehand. In fact, the only statement made was that Wolfington just told Bobby, when asked where the two boys were from, “We are from Broderick” – not that they were Broderick Boys.

After the fight was over, Mr. Brittenum left the room, only to walk outside and fall to the ground from the wounds. It was then that the two boys, Wolfington and Silva, fled.

Defense then called up his first witness, Mark Harrison, who is a gang task expert. He explained his expertise in the field of gang-related crimes and the experience and knowledge he had about them. But Deputy DA Couzens’ questions would raise questions about his actual knowledge of the “Broderick Boys and the gangs here in Yolo County.”

Mr. Couzens read pieces of testimony Harrison had said on the stand in regard to other notorious cases. He asked Harrison about the elements of a gang enhancement charge, which he could not recollect. Harrison was asked if he read the evidence in this case and whether he felt this was a gang-related crime. He stated no.

He said just because a person had been a gang member does not mean every crime is tied to the affiliation of gang activity. Harrison disagreed with the prosecution’s witness, Wilson, who is a gang expert also in what the elements tie crimes to gang activity. But he agreed with most of the gang’s persona: drug activity, and the order of things among the gang members.

The trial was brief, due to the time being close to the end of the day, but it will continue Monday morning.

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