The trial against triple-murder suspect Pierre Haobsh continued Thursday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court with more testimony from investigator Jeffrey Ellis of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office as well as from Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Brian Scott and a witness who had briefly worked with Haobsh in 2014.
Haobsh, 31, is accused of murdering Dr. Weidong “Henry” Han, 57; his wife, Huijie “Jennie” Yu, 29; and their 5-year-old daughter, Emily, in 2016. He is now being charged with three first-degree murder charges with special allegations that the murders were premeditated, willful and deliberate; committed by means of lying in wait; and committed for financial gain.
On the afternoon of March 23, 2016, Scott and other sheriff’s personnel responded to the scene of 4640 Green Hill Way near Goleta, the Han residence where the family was found murdered.
That evening, detectives and deputies conducted a neighborhood canvass to find any information of what happened.
Scott said that the only information they got out of the canvass was from a neighbor who had seen an Asian male near the mailboxes the night before. The neighbor also reported that her daughter had seen an Asian male following her into the neighborhood and driving very quickly on March 21, 2016.
Scott said the Sheriff’s Department did not receive any more identifying information on the man and did not find the reports to be relevant to the case.
When Ellis testified, he and Public Defender Christine Voss discussed how data is extracted from computers and phones in criminal cases such as this one.
Spyrix keylogger software was found on both Han’s computer and on Haobsh’s computer, which monitors and records keystrokes and takes screenshots on the computer.
With the free version, however, which is what was found on the computers, those are stored locally on the same device and cannot be accessed remotely.
Voss also questioned Ellis about whether the computers were checked for evidence of hacking or malware, which Ellis said were not. Ellis said he found no indication of hacking or malware, and nothing lead him to believe that had taken place.
The third witness on Thursday afternoon was Nico Fricchione, who testified via Zoom.
Fricchione said he met Haobsh in Tempe, Arizona, around 2014, when they had a discussion about Haobsh helping to find a way to muffle the sound of pneumatic nail guns used in the factory setting of the construction company Fricchione’s family owns in Pennsylvania.
Fricchione said that he and Hoabsh had tested some nail guns to get decibel readings, and exchanged emails, but the project ultimately fizzled out.
“It was a pretty short-lived project,” Fricchione said. “We just did not continue the project after a certain point.”
Fricchione said there were no contracts or expectations for Haobsh to produce anything, so there would be no reason for Haobsh to have any kind of noise-muffling tools or equipment.
The bench trial being heard by Judge Brian Hill, who will decide the case, as Haobsh waived his right to a jury trial.
Testimony is scheduled to continue on Monday.
— 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.