They’re being held without bail - Townsell at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, and Williams at the Robert Presley Jail in RiversideĪccording to the prosecution’s trial brief, Townsell and Williams were trawling the casino in the predawn hours of Aug. Both women are expected to receive life in prison without the possibility of parole. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer ordered jurors to return to the Southwest Justice Center Wednesday morning to begin deliberations.Ī sentencing date for the defendants was pending. Testimony lasted for nearly a month, with closing statements by the prosecution and defense on Tuesday.
MURRIETA (CNS) – Two women who robbed and fatally assaulted a senior at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula were convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder and other offenses.Ī Murrieta jury deliberated two hours before finding Candace Tai Townsell, 42, and Kimesha Monae Williams, 38, both of Moreno Valley, guilty of the 2019 slaying of 84-year-old Afaf Anis Assad of Long Beach.Īlong with the murder count, jurors convicted the pair of robbery and elder abuse, as well as a special circumstance allegation of killing during the course of a robbery, with sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegations.
