BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Kern County jury on Tuesday acquitted one man and found another guilty of involuntary manslaughter instead of murder in the death of a Ridgecrest man in 2022.
Both men had faced life terms in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.
Brian Coykendall, 34, was convicted of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.
His co-defendant, Erwin Moore Jr., 30, was acquitted and expected to be released from custody Tuesday evening.
They were accused of killing Matthew Ian Peterson on March 4, 2022. Peterson, 43, was severely beaten and shot once in the back of the head.
Deputy Public Defender T. Alan Rogers, Coykendall’s attorney, said the maximum his client faces is four years in prison.
“He’s relieved the nightmare is over,” Rogers said.
Rogers said his argument from the beginning was that Coykendall acted either in self-defense or imperfect self-defense against someone with a record of violence who had previously threatened him. Peterson was a convicted felon.
The attorney noted Coykendall is a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“(The Kern County Public Defender’s Office) has always been willing to stand by veterans, even as they face the most serious charges and consequences,” Rogers said.
“He’s relieved the nightmare is over,” Rogers said.
Rogers said his argument from the beginning was that Coykendall acted either in self-defense or imperfect self-defense against someone with a record of violence who had previously threatened him. Peterson was a convicted felon.
The attorney noted Coykendall is a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“(The Kern County Public Defender’s Office) has always been willing to stand by veterans, even as they face the most serious charges and consequences,” Rogers said.
The attorney said he accompanied Moore to a meeting with prosecutors two years ago in which Moore told them exactly what happened. No deal was offered.
Moore went through “two years of hell” sitting in Lerdo Jail and waiting for trial, Raimondo said. Now he can start getting his life back in order, the attorney said.
“Justice is still alive in Kern County, thanks to our jurors,” he said.
Prosecutor Christine Antonios said homicide cases are often challenging because one side is no longer alive to tell their story.
Full story here: https://www.kget.com/news/crime-watch/verdicts-reached-in-ridgecrest-murder-trial/
