Judge grants Pacific Beach murder suspect supervised release
SAN DIEGO – A surprise release from jail was ordered for a 1994 murder suspect who was recently charged with killing a man in Pacific Beach.
Deputy District Attorney John Philpott had asked San Diego Superior Court Judge Frank Birchak for either no bail or bail set at $2 million for Jeff Scott Brandenburg, 50, who was arrested last week in Santa Cruz.
Brandenburg is accused of fatally stabbing Clive Bland in the 700 block of Tourmaline Street on Jan. 2, 1994. San Diego police said they had a break in the cold case due to evidence developed from “forensic investigative genetic genealogy.”
Philpott said there were “old pieces” of DNA found in evidence that linked Brandenburg to the stabbing by a match to the DNA profile of the killer.
Birchak asked the Philpott if Brandenburg had other felony convictions in the three decades since the homicide. He answered that the suspect has a misdemeanor drug conviction.
The judge said 32 years have passed since Bland’s death, and there appears to be no signs of violence in Brandenburg’s life. Birchak acknowledged that other judges might not have made the same call regarding bail, but he was concerned about fairness, given Brandenburg’s “adolescent brain development” since he was only 18 years old when he allegedly killed Bland.
Birchak granted the suspect a supervised release, ordering that he wear a global positioning system at all times. He also must remain in San Diego County, unless he obtains permission from officials to leave the area.
The judge further ordered Brandenburg not to possess any weapons, such as knives or a firearm, and not to make any threats to others. He is also barred from using drugs; Birchak ordered him to wear a patch that can detect their use.
Brandenberg, standing in jail clothes inside a glass cubicle, agreed to the conditions. He also pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
Philpott, in arguing for high or no bail, said Brandenburg represented “a danger to the community and a flight risk.” He added that the victim was afraid, and that he and the suspect were “strangers to each other.”
After the hearing, the prosecutor said of the judge’s stance, “We respect the court’s decision, although we see it differently.”
Brandenberg’s attorney, Jonathon Villavicencio, had argued for his release and conferred with his client when asked about where will he live since he was arrested in Santa Cruz.
“He’s familiar with (homeless) shelters,” said Villavicencio. Philpott said afterward that Brandenburg was homeless while he lived in Santa Cruz.
The judge set a preliminary hearing for July 28.
Source – Indonesia News
