Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 08/29/03

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Marianna Lebedeff

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEFENDANT CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER

Yesterday, a Sonoma County jury convicted Randy Lee Hughes of attempted murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, battery with serious bodily injury, making criminal threats, and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. The crimes occurred in Petaluma in November, 2001. The victim is the defendant’s former girlfriend.

The three week trial in Judge Robert Boyd’s courtroom was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Marianna Lebedeff. The jurors heard testimony describing how Mr. Hughes beat and strangled the victim until she lost consciousness. There was additional evidence which described how the defendant kidnapped the victim, held her against her will and ultimately attempted to kill her and himself by taking steps to ignite a propane tank in the small trailer where he held the bound and gagged victim.

A sentencing date of October 8, 2003 has been set. The maximum possible sentence the defendant can receive is 15 years in state prison. He remains incarcerated in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility with bail fixed at $500,000.