A preliminary hearing has finally been scheduled for the man charged with a triple-homicide in the deaths of a Santa Barbara Herbal Clinic doctor and his family nearly a year ago.
Pierre Haobsh, 27, of Oceanside has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges for the killings of Dr. Weidong “Henry” Han, 57; his wife, Huijie “Jennie” Yu, 29; and their 5-year-old daughter, Emily Han.
At a Tuesday hearing, the preliminary hearing was set for May 31 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. It’s scheduled to last three days, according to Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Ladinig.
Han and Yu operated the Santa Barbara Herbal Clinic, a traditional Chinese medicine shop, and Sheriff Bill Brown said Haobsh had a recent business transaction with Han.
The family’s bodies were discovered March 24, 2016, in their home on the 4600 block of Greenhill Way, between Goleta and Santa Barbara.
All three died from gunshots to the head, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
No information about the case or Haobsh’s relationship with Han has been released since Brown held a press conference on March 25, the day Haobsh was arrested.
After the preliminary hearing, Superior Court Judge Brian Hill will determine whether enough evidence exists to move forward to trial.
Haobsh is being represented by deputy public defenders Mindi Boulet and Christine Voss.
If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.