"A Napa County judge has paused court proceedings in the 2024 killings of two young women in Napa while attorneys review hundreds of recorded jail phone calls tied to the case. Judge Elia Ortiz issued the order at the end of a brief hearing Monday for Vallejo resident Jonathan Nicholson Jr., 24, and Santa Rosa resident Jessica Whitten, 21. Both are charged with murder and had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors would begin laying out their evidence."
"Investigators say the three suspects went to the area because Adolph planned to fight one of the victims. During the confrontation, one of the victims stabbed Adolph. Nicholson then put on a mask, chased the victims and opened fire, according to court records. Whitten is accused of driving the car they used to leave. Neighbors called 911 after finding the victims, and security cameras helped police identify the suspects."
"Instead, lawyers focused on Santa Rosa resident Judith Adolph, who is also charged in the case and is expected to testify for prosecutors. She pleaded no contest to lesser charges in March, and attorneys for Nicholson and Whitten argued that the phone calls could undermine her credibility. Two other witnesses were present Monday before Ortiz ordered them to return in April."
Judge Elia Ortiz paused a preliminary hearing in the 2024 killings of two young women while attorneys review hundreds of recorded jail phone calls tied to the case. Defendants include Jonathan Nicholson Jr., 24, and Jessica Whitten, 21, both charged with murder. Attorneys concentrated on co-defendant Judith Adolph, who is expected to testify for prosecutors and pleaded no contest to lesser charges in March; defense lawyers argued the phone calls could undermine her credibility. The victims, 19-year-old Aileen Villasenor and 17-year-old Sasha Mufich, were shot April 13, 2024, on Riverside Drive. Investigators allege the three went to confront a victim, Adolph was stabbed, Nicholson masked and opened fire, and Whitten drove the getaway car. Security camera footage and 911 calls aided police, and the suspects were arrested days later.
Read at www.pressdemocrat.com
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