RIVERSIDE – (INT) – No-parole prison terms have been meted out to two men in the 12-year-old Pinyon Pines triple murder case.

Charges against Robert Pape and Cristin Smith were once dismissed in 2014 over a legal technicality and then re-filed. After nearly ten days of deliberations, a Riverside jury was unanimous to convict the pair at the climax to their trial on June 7th.

The case stemmed from the slayings of Jon Hayward, Vicki Fredli and her daughter, Becky. Firefighters found their bodies at the Fredli’s mountain home in September 2006. The bodies of Becky’s mother and Hayward were found inside the residence.

Pape, Becky’s former boyfriend, had been expected at the Fredli home to go hiking. The house had been set on fire in an effort to cover up the slayings.

Firefighters found Becky’s burning body in a wheelbarrow. DNA on a business card eventually led to Smith although he claimed to have never been at the Fredli home. Cellphone records showed that both suspects had been near the home the night of the killings. Shotguns were later found at the suspects’ homes.

“Justice in this case, in particular for the family and friends of Jon Hayward, Vicki Friedli, and Vicki’s daughter Becky, has been a long time coming,” District Attorney Mike Hestrin said.

Story Date: August 14, 2018