Update, June 6:
Jesce Richt will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A jury delivered his sentence Thursday afternoon, following victim impact statements from Jessica Griffin's family.
“The void left by Jessica’s absence is so deep and empty. Our family struggles every day to come to terms with the cruel reality of her not being here each day," said Jessica's mother, Greer Griffin.
Richt will be back in court in August. A judge will sentence him for an additional conviction: possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
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Jesce Richt has been found guilty of first degree murder.
The jury came to a verdict on Wednesday around 2 p.m. and that verdict was read around 2:30.
Richt is also pleading guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday at 7:30 a.m.
Update, June 3:
Jessica Griffin’s family members have taken the witness stand, giving emotional testimony for the state.
Greer Griffin, Jessica’s mother, told jurors on Thursday that she heard gunshots and found her daughter’s body in the garage. Griffin’s sister, Christy Stoll, identified Jesce Richt in video surveillance footage and phone calls, connecting him to the crime scene and providing evidence of motive in the alleged killing.
"The way he swings his arm. His receding hairline. He always wears black. He has a specific walk. That was him. Without a doubt,” she told jurors, after the state showed footage from a neighbor’s home security camera.
The footage depicts a figure in all black walking toward the Griffin family’s house, then disappearing from view. Audio captures a scream, then seven gunshots, and the same figure running away.
Stoll also identified Richt in voice mails and phone calls that he allegedly sent Griffin leading up to her death. In the clips, Richt is heard both crying to Griffin, and calling her vulgar names.
The state expects to rest its case on Tuesday, turning the floor over to the defense.
Update, May 28:
The man accused of shooting and killing a Verdi woman will go on trial on Tuesday.
Jesce Richt is accused of shooting 40-year-old Jessica Griffin at a home on Castletroy Drive last year.
Jury selection is scheduled to start May 28th with opening statements set for May 30th.
Court documents showed Griffin had filed several temporary protection orders against Richt and she had accused him of domestic abuse and threatening to kill her.
MAY 11, 2023:
The man accused of shooting and killing a Verdi woman last month appeared in a Reno courtroom on Thursday.
Jesce Richt appeared in court for his arraignment in Reno Justice Court and did not enter a plea. He'll continue to be held without bail.
He's accused of shooting Jessica Griffin at a home on Castletroy Drive back on April 18th.
Another court hearing for him is set for mid-august.
He was arrested in Las Vegas during a traffic stop on April 24th.
APRIL 27, 2023:
The man accused of killing a woman in Verdi is expected to be back in Washoe County within the next week.
On Thursday, a Clark County court ordered Jesce Richt to be released to Washoe within seven days - if there are no local charges - or released seven days after all local charges have been resolved.
As of now, it does not appear additional charges in Clark County have been filed against him.
According to his arrest report, Metro police officers arrested him last Monday during a traffic stop driving near Primm.
Police say the 40-year-old was compliant, and followed all their commands.
On April 18, Reno Police responded to the scene on Castletroy Drive, off of I-80 around 7:30 pm. on a report of a shooting.
Police say 40-year-old Jessica Griffin died on scene.
Court documents showed Griffin had filed several temporary protection orders against Richt and she had accused him of domestic abuse and threatening to kill her.
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April 22 Update:
We are learning more about the past between the woman who was shot and killed in Verdi earlier this week and her suspected killer.
According to court documents, Jessica Griffin explained how Jesce Richt said he was going to kill her and described how he would do it.
In an application for a temporary protection order with the Second Judiciary Court, Griffin explained how Richt had reportedly held her hostage for close to one year.
She went into detail about how Richt had given her black eyes, broken ribs, and locked her in closets.
Later in her application, Griffin goes into detail on the threats she had received from Richt.
She wrote that Richt told her "I will kill your whole family. I will rip your sister's baby out of her, I will kill my father and his wife."
More documents revealed show that Griffin had filed several temporary protection orders against Richt.
Richt also has a criminal past that includes charges kidnapping in the first degree, false imprisonment and aggravated stalking.
Police say they are still searching for Richt and that he may be using an alias by the name of Paul Watterson.
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Original story from April 20:
The search continues for a man suspected of fatally shooting a 40-year-old woman in Verdi on Tuesday night.
Police responded to the scene on Castletroy Drive, off of I-80 around 7:30 pm.
Police say Jessica Griffin died on scene.
After interviews with witnesses and the investigative process, it was determined that 40-year-old Jesce Richt is the suspect in this crime.
According to court documents, Griffin applied for a Temporary Protection Order against the suspect, Jesce Richt, who also goes by Paul Waterson, earlier this month.
It was denied because she already had an extended order against him that was set to expire in August.
Police say Richt and Griffin are known to each other and that the shooting was not a random act.
So far, police have not arrested him, though - and say they are still investigating.
If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.
A GoFundMe page has been set for Griffin's family. Click below for info -
