A jury found former Morgan Hill resident Daren Campodonica
guilty of second degree murder Wednesday, after deliberating almost
two full days. The verdict could get him 15 years in prison.
A jury found former Morgan Hill resident Daren Campodonica guilty of second degree murder Wednesday, after deliberating almost two full days. The verdict could get him 15 years in prison.
An additional charge of using a firearm while committing an offense – especially since a death occurred – could add as much as 25 years, totaling a 40-year sentence.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Rene Navarro is scheduled to sentence Campodonica at 9am, June 17 in Dept. 39 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Campodonica, now 38, had been accused of killing his wife Tarina Marie, 35, with one gunshot, after a day of domestic discord and a 20-year history of domestic abuse. He had pleaded innocent.
The jury heard about 50 witnesses during the eight-week trial, according to Morgan Hill Police Cpl. Troy Hoefling, including family members and friends who reported being threatened in the past by the defendant or seeing him abuse his wife, starting before they were married.
Hoefling has been involved since called to the murder scene on Venetian Way on March 16, 2002. He was present in court during the entire trial and for Wednesday’s decision as well.
“It was a long, drawn out process,” Hoefling said, “but I’m satisfied with the verdict.”
Garcia said Campodonica mostly told the jury his side of the story.
The defense attorney said he was disappointed with the verdict.
“I thought we had a clear shot at manslaughter,” Garcia said. “But in a case based on domestic violence, under the statutes of California, the jury gets to consider every bad act or thing you’ve ever been accused of and that really hurts. The jury heard a lot of Daren’s background.”
Testimony from the couple’s daughter, Nicole, who was nearby when her father shot her mother in the family garage, was fairly noncommittal, according to Garcia.
“Nicole said she didn’t want to make it seem like her mother committed suicide or like her father committed murder,” Garcia said. “In her heart she thinks it was an accident.”
Deputy District Attorney Ed Fernandez, who led the prosecution team throughout the trial, said in his opening arguments that he wasn’t sure how Nicole’s testimony would appear to the jury, that she did not want to think either parent was guilty.
He did not return calls for comment before press time.
Cumming said police department, which devoted weeks to investigating the crime, was relieved by the verdict. “We are pleased with outcome,” Cumming said. “In a serious trial like this it’s necessary for the D.A. to have an assistant to make sure the witnesses show up, make sure the evidence gets to court and take care of some follow up issues. Hoefling did all that and we lost him for six to eight weeks. We don’t do this on lesser cases but murder cases are very, very important.”
When charges were first filed in 2002, the district attorney’s office said it would not ask for “special circumstances,” which allows for the death penalty.
Garcia said that the judge would have a probation sentencing report to help him decide where to send Campodonica.
“Daren has a minor record but no felonies,” Garcia said. “But, because of the time to be served, he’ll probably go to a maximum security facility and won’t be considered for parole for 15 years.”
Garcia said he will file a motion of a notion to appeal but won’t handle the appeal himself.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
