On the morning of July 23, 2013, nearly nine months ago, Turlock homeowner Robin Boyer, 58, shot and killed Brandon Pacheco, 25.
Boyer told police that he shot Pacheco after seeing him trespass on his property several times leading up to that fateful day. It is believed Boyer saw Pacheco on his property the morning of the shooting and confronted him.
Pacheco’s sister, Shannon Pacheco, 34, who identified her younger brother’s body, says he was shot in the back of the head as he was running away from Boyer.
The shooting has spawned debate over defense of property rights.
It remains unclear if Boyer shot Pacheco on his own property. Initial police reports said Pacheco was shot in a field near Boyer’s property, but the exact location of the shooting has not been officially released.
Shannon Pacheco says Turlock Police Department Detective Brandon Bertram told her last week that all of the evidence had been collected and submitted to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant District Attorney Carol Shipley, however, gave a conflicting report.
“We have received most of the reports, but we are still waiting on a few more reports to come in,” she said. “We are reviewing them and have not made a decision.”
The Turlock Police Department did not respond to requests for clarification of the discrepancy.
Shipley could not comment on what further reports the District Attorney is waiting for, nor could she supply a timeline for when a decision will be made on whether or not to prosecute Boyer and for what charges.
When asked if it normal for an investigation to take nine months she replied, “With an investigation like this, yes, absolutely.”
Boyer’s own nephew, Reece Haile, currently a private investigator in Southern California and a former Turlock Police Officer, described Boyer as a “gun enthusiast.”
Haile speculates that Boyer could be claiming he shot Pacheco on accident, something Haile says would be unlikely given Boyer's past.
“If he is saying he accidentally shot Brandon I doubt it. As far as I’m concerned he didn’t accidentally shoot someone. He has made comments in the past about gunning someone down if anyone ever trespassed on his property,” said Haile.
Pacheco’s family admits he was no angel. However, they contend that he did not deserve to die in the manner he did, and have publicly questioned the motives of Boyer.
Pacheco had prior convictions for grand theft, commercial burglary and methamphetamine possession in the months leading up to his death.
Shannon Pacheco contends that there was likely little-to-no confrontation between Boyer and her brother.
“We only want the truth to come out that Boyer murdered Brandon. My brother was not confrontational or violent,” Shannon Pacheco said. “He had never even been in a fistfight in his whole life. He was running away from Boyer. I think what happened was he had seen my brother before and he (Boyer) was waiting for him to come back. I think he will be charged.”
