A court hearing for the man accused of murdering a Santa Barbara herbal doctor, his wife and daughter was postponed on Tuesday at the request of his attorneys.
Pierre Haobsh, 26, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Chinese herbalist Dr. Weidong “Henry” Han, 57, his wife, Huijie “Jennie” Yu, 29, and the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, Emily Han, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
Haobsh, who is being held without bail at Santa Barbara County Jail, appeared before Judge Brian Hill on Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing.
He is expected to return to court on Sept. 27.
Deputy Public Defender Christine Voss asked the judge for the delay, saying, “We just received a substantial amount of discovery from both sides.”
Haobsh is being represented by Voss and Deputy Public Defender Mindi Boulet, and entered a plea of not guilty on May 5.
He also faces special allegations that the murders were willful, premeditation, and deliberate; committed by means of lying in wait and for financial gain — which could lead him to the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole if found guilty on all counts, according to the Santa Barbara County District.
On March 23, authorities found the three members of the Han family wrapped in clear plastic wrap and duct tape in the garage of their hilltop home at 4640 Greenhill Way, between Santa Barbara and Goleta.
Each victim had been shot multiple times, with autopsies showing the three died of gunshot wounds to the head, authorities said.
Haobsh was arrested at gunpoint in San Diego County after authorities spotted him driving early on March 25; in his possession was a loaded 9-mm gun.
Haobsh, of Oceanside, is believed to be an associate of Han’s Santa Barbara Herbal Clinic business.
Deputy district attorneys Hilary Dozer and Benjamin Ladinig are prosecuting the case.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
