People v. Bomar CA3

BACKGROUND

The charges in this case stem from the killing of Jeremy Fortuin. Fortuin formerly lived in a house with, among others, Cody, Cody’s girlfriend, and the girlfriend’s parents, Johnny R. and Tanya J. Chase visited, but did not stay there. Everyone moved out after the house was “red-tagged,” that is, after local authorities deemed the house unfit to inhabit. According to Johnny, Fortuin removed all of his property. Fortuin had a history of violent encounters with several people, including residents of the red-tagged house. For example, Tanya testified that when a woman named Elisa kicked Fortuin in the back of the leg, Fortuin responded by punching her in the head and knocking her unconscious before he dragged her down the driveway by her hair. Johnny also testified that about four years before the murder, Fortuin responded to something Johnny said about clothing by punching Johnny in the face. Johnny also witnessed Fortuin slap Johnny’s brother without apparent provocation. On another occasion, Fortuin punched Johnny’s brother in the back of the head then tore out “a big chunk of hair” from the brother’s head and hung the hair on a tree. Fortuin also had a 2009…