On May 21, 2010, a jury consisting of seven women and five men convicted 45-year-old Johnnie Bennett of Terra Bella of first-degree murder in the beating death of his childhood friend, 41-year-old Richard Hopper. The jury trial began on Monday, 17th, 2010. The jury received the case for deliberations at 11:05 a.m. this morning and came back guilty on the sole count in the information late this afternoon. On March 29, 2010, a previous jury found 25-year-old Richard Peters guilty of first-degree murder in the same beating death of 41-year-old Richard Hopper

On October 31, 2008 in the city of Terra Bella, the defendants, along with a third co-defendant, picked up the victim Richard Hopper. The victim was known to the defendants and got into the car willingly to allow them to drive him to cash a check. The defendants, however, drove him out into a desolate area of town into an orchard where they beat, kicked and stomped the upper torso and head of Mr. Hopper. They left him there to die, choking on his own blood. The cause of death was blunt force trauma causing asphyxiation. The defendants went and bragged about the murder to others afterwards.

Both defendant Bennett and defendant Peters now face a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. Sentencing for Richard Peters is scheduled for June 1, 2010. Sentencing for Johnnie Bennett has been scheduled for June 28, 2010.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Mikki Verissimo. The case was initially investigated by Tulare County Sheriff’s Detective Duane Cornett and Sergeant Jodi Cox. It was further investigated by the DA Investigator Domingo Flores. The Honorable Judge James Hollman presided over both trials.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney, Shani D. Jenkins (559) 733-6411.