5 days ago
Davis stabbings trial judge says jury has reached verdict on first-degree murder, hung on second-degree murder
A verdict has been reached in the trial of Carlos Dominguez, the former UC Davis student accused of going on a deadly stabbing spree, the judge says.
The judge believes there is a verdict reached on first-degree murder, but there is a hung jury on the second-degree murder charge.
More details will be released as the proceedings continue on Friday.
Dominguez is suspected in the 2023 stabbing spree that saw two people, David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm, killed and a third, Kimberlee Guillory, wounded.
Proceedings were initially put on hold after the former UC Davis student's arrest after he was found not competent to stand trial. However, the trial resumed towards the end of 2024 when a reevaluation determined Dominguez was now competent.
Jurors are deciding on the charges of first-degree murder for the killings of Breaux and Najm, and attempted murder in Guillory's stabbing.
Closing arguments concluded on June 6, with Dominguez's defense claiming he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the attacks. Prosecutors focused their case on proving the actions were premeditated, regardless of Dominguez's mental state.
A number of people – including Dominguez's family, his ex-girlfriend, a former professor, along with health care professionals and law enforcement officers – were brought in to testify in the trial.
Dominguez himself took the stand in his own defense, a move legal experts said was unusual.
Prosecutors have said they would not seek the death penalty against Dominguez if he is found guilty.
