Attorney for Fresno man accused of murder says phone evidence proves client wasn’t there

Jerel Stanfield, whose 2017 murder trial ended in a hung jury, is being retried again by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.

But his defense attorney said Tuesday he has proof his client wasn’t even there.

In his opening statement to the jury, Kevin Little said prosecutors have little-to-no physical evidence connecting Stanfield, 34, to the March 31, 2013 murder of William Simpson, 23.

Stanfield’s accused of gunning down Simpson while he, his girlfriend and her 3-year-old child slept in a car outside of an apartment of Simpson’s relative in central Fresno.

Police said both men are members of rival gangs: Simpson, a Dog Pound member and Stanfield a part of the Strother Boys. At the time, both gangs were feuding with on another.

Stanfield is accused by police of spotting Simpson that night at 4140 N. Clark Street and then shooting him multiple times with a .40 caliber handgun.

Little. his attorney, said that isn’t possible. “Jerel Stanfield did not shoot and kill William Simpson, he wasn’t even there,” Little said. “We know that because we live in the age of cell phones.”

Among the evidence police recovered from Stanfield’s vehicle, after being chased by police and crashing, was his cell phone.

Data pulled from Stanfield’s phone show that at the time of the shooting, 3:10 a.m., he wasn’t in the area. He was at his mother’s house in the Shaw and Blackstone area, Little said.

Also, a transcript from the 911 call made by Simpson’s girlfriend, Lajeana Ramsey, immediately after the shooting made no mention of Stanfield.

Ramsey initially told police she saw the shooter, the defense says. “She spoke with multiple officers and she did not mention Stanfield,’ Little said. “It wasn’t until a week later that she gave a statement where she indicated the person who shot Mr. Simpson was Mr. Stanfield.”

Little suggested Ramsey had an incentive to cooperate with police, saying they gave her $21,000 to relocate to avoid possible gang retaliation.

Additionally, Little said there was no gunshot residue on Stanfield’s hands or any fingerprints on the gun. Little also questions the results of ballistics tests from the gun involved in the killing.

Prosecutors say witness was “terrified”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gularte, who prosecuted Stanfield in the 2017 case, said Ramsey is a key witness in the case and had every reason not to identify Stanfield right away.

“She was terrified of retaliation, she was terrified of anything to happening,” Gularte said. “She refused to give a statement to detectives.”

It took several interviews with Detective Andre Benson for her to feel comfortable about telling police what she saw. Once she did, she identified Stanfield not only as Simpson’s killer but also as the man who threatened the two of them about a week prior while shopping on Blackstone Avenue.

Stanfield was arrested several hours after the shooting when an undercover detective spotted his black SUV. He followed Stanfield while also calling for backup. Police turned their lights and sirens on, but Stanfield did not pull over. At one point, one of the officers hit Stanfield’s vehicle, sending it into a tree, Gularte said.

According to the prosecution, Stanfield got out of the car and ran from police. Gulare said police yelled at him to stop and show his hands, but he refused. Police were aware Stanfield was a suspect in a homicide case and that he may have a gun.

Two officers fired their weapons, striking Stanfield in the head and shoulder, Gularte said. As he lay on the ground, police tried to put handcuffs on the defendant but he continued to struggle with officers, according to the prosecution.

Once the handcuffs were on, one of the officers searched him for any weapons and found a .40 caliber Glock pistol.

Little said there is still a question about where that gun came from.

“You will hear conflicting testimony about what he was in possession of when he was shot,” LIttle said. “There were tons of people who were watching the incident and a number of them will tell you Mr. Stanfield did not have a weapon or was seen running with a weapon and there wasn’t one on the ground.”

The trial continues Wednesday in Dept. 72.