More than six years after Santa Barbara Herb Clinic founder Dr. Weidong “Henry” Han and his family were killed in 2016, Pierre Haobsh — who was convicted of the triple murders last November — was sentenced Friday to three consecutive counts of life in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by 75 years to life in prison.
Haobsh, 32, appeared in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, representing himself for sentencing.
It was delayed multiple times as Haobsh requested new attorneys after the guilty trial verdict and, when he was denied, decided to represent himself.
Han, 57; his wife, Huijie “Jennie” Yu, 29; and their 5-year-old daughter Emily were found slain and wrapped in plastic in their home’s garage on Greenhill Way near Goleta on March 23, 2016.
“I was fortunate to have had a very close friendship with Dr. Han for more than 20 years. Henry, Jennie and Emily were like family to me…” said Han family friend Donald Goldberg in a victim-impact statement in Superior Court Friday. “The impact, the pain and suffering of the surviving family is unimaginable and unbearable.
“It is my hope there may be at least some sense of closure for friends of the family and the community as a whole, although there will always be deep sorrow at the loss of Dr. Han, Jennie and Emily. However, I am afraid that nothing can reduce the pain and suffering of the family’s surviving relatives.”
Judge Brian Hill sentenced Haobsh to life in prison without parole for each murder, as well as 25 years to life in prison for special allegations that the killings were willful, premeditated, and deliberate; committed by means of lying in wait; and committed for financial gain.
“Pierre Haobsh needs to be sent to prison for the rest of his life, and he needs to pass in prison,” Supervising Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Ladinig said during the sentencing hearing.
The court also ordered Haobsh to pay $22,500 to the California Victim Compensation Board, along with other fines and fees.
In addition to the sentencing, Hill addressed motions that Haobsh had filed seeking a new trial, and a petition for writ of habeas corpus.
Haobsh said part of his reasoning for wanting a new trial, as well as his decision to represent himself, was due to “ineffective assistance of counsel.”
During the trial, Haobsh was represented by deputy public defenders Christine Voss and Michael Hanley.
Hill ultimately denied both the motions, although Haobsh can re-file the motions in appellate court.
“Your trial counsel was superb. … Your attorneys worked so hard on this case,” Hill told Haobsh. “It’s incredible to me that you would even raise the suggestion of ineffective assistance of counsel.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.