Background: The Huntington Beach, Calif., vicinity wherever Craig Charron murdered Laura Sardinha successful 2020 (Google Maps). Inset left: Laura Sardinha (Dignity Memorial). Inset right: Craig Charron (Huntington Beach Police Department).
A California antheral accused of stabbing his girlfriend to decease portion she was connected the telephone has been recovered blameworthy of murder.
Craig Charron, 39, was convicted by a assemblage connected Tuesday of the 2020 murder of his girlfriend, Laura Sardinha, 25, whom helium stabbed successful the flat they antecedently shared. Prosecutors said that aft respective convulsive interactions with Charron, Sardinha had the locks changed and got a restraining bid against him. But helium inactive made it into her apartment, wherever helium attacked her with respective antithetic knives, stabbing her successful the thorax and face.
During the attack, Sardinha was connected the phone, signaling a 37-second voicemail that prosecutors said sounded similar “a pistillate narrating her ain murder.”
During the trial, which was covered by the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors said that Sardinha was conscionable 1 of respective women who had taken retired a restraining bid against Charron. Three of those women testified for the prosecution, and each of them described being either slapped, choked oregon abused by Charron portion successful a narration with him.
According to the prosecution, Sardinha had been documenting Charron’s behavior, including the greeting of the time helium killed her. Upon waking connected the greeting of Sept. 2, 2020, Sardinha recorded a speech betwixt herself and Charron successful which she was begging for him to permission her alone, asking him repeatedly, “Can you delight leave?” and “Please get distant from me.” Charron was heard responding, “All I privation is to beryllium with you.” Sardinha past said, “You terrify me, due to the fact that you don’t leave.”
Prosecutors said that Sardinha told a person that Sharron had demanded oral enactment from her.
Charron besides tried to overgarment himself arsenic the victim, seemingly filming himself successful the flat saying, “Oh my God, don’t deed maine … Laura, wherefore are you hitting me?” portion Sardinha was connected different broadside of the room.
The aforesaid morning, Sardinha went to the leasing bureau to inquire if she could get her flat locks changed. Charron was seen by the flat manager and allowed Sardinha to fell successful the bureau earlier helium escorted her backmost to the apartment. The locks were changed that morning.
After helium was locked out, Charron continued to effort to interaction Sardinha by phone, and she ignored him.
At astir 1:15 p.m. that day, Sardinha placed a telephone to her parent and champion friend. But astatine immoderate point, Charron got wrong the apartment. When helium took the stand, helium said helium entered done the unlocked door.
While she was connected the phone, Sardinha could beryllium heard saying, “Oh my God, he’s here!” They ended the call, and the person called 911. Sardinha past placed different telephone that went to voicemail successful which she tin beryllium heard screaming, “He’s gonna termination me!” and “Get distant from me!”
According to prosecutors, the onslaught was recorded. Charron ne'er said a word, and prosecutors said, “You don’t perceive the suspect connected it, and his soundlessness is perfectly deafening. He’s enjoying taking his clip sidesplitting her.”
Charron past seemingly stabbed himself to marque it look that helium had been attacked and was acting successful self-defense. When Charron, a subject veteran, took the stand, helium testified that helium had a 100% disablement standing and had undergone psychiatric treatment. The attack, helium told the court, was “hazy,” and “I didn’t rather comprehend what was happening successful the moment. It’s taking maine a 2nd to recognize I’m being chopped up.”
Prosecutors called Charron’s weapon wounds self-inflicted, saying that astatine 6 feet gangly and 220 pounds, helium “towered over” Sardinha. After citing an wounded Sardinha had suffered successful a motorcycle mishap successful 2019, which rendered her incapable to chopped lemons with a weapon — thing that meant the nonaccomplishment of her bartending occupation — prosecutors said it was improbable that she stabbed Charron.
But adjacent if she had, Charron “was the aggressor 100% of the time.”
Jurors deliberated for little than a time earlier uncovering Charron blameworthy of first-degree murder. He is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected July 25.
If you are experiencing home violence, you tin telephone the National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 1-800-799-7233 oregon sojourn thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and disposable 24/7 successful much than 170 languages.