In a recent development from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, a plea deal has been secured for three individuals involved in a grisly 2021 crime. The trio faced charges stemming from the murder of Benjamin Hemmann, whose lifeless body was found discarded in the Oakland Hills, and subsequent residential burglary and identity theft.
Details shared by the District Attorney's Office reveal that defendant Richardo Onteveros has entered a guilty plea for second-degree murder, possibly facing 15 years to life in prison. Kevin Woodruff and Bryan Wu pleaded guilty to home invasion robbery in concert, possession of stolen property, and first-degree residential burglary, respectively. Woodruff's agreed-upon sentence is 6 years and 8 months, while Wu could serve 6 years behind bars.
The investigation, led by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, pieced together a case supported by the weight of witness testimony, surveillance footage, and digital artifacts, such as location data and text messages from the defendants' cell phones. This composite of evidence pointed to a chilling narrative where Woodruff and Wu were implicated in delivering Hemmann to Onteveros before his death and then participating in the looting of the Hemmann household.
District Attorney Pamela Price was quoted, "Each defendant has entered guilty pleas and accepted responsibility for their actions in the kidnapping, murder of Benjamin Hemmann and the residential burglary and identity theft of James Hemmann. These were heinous crimes." She expressed her office’s commitment to ensuring those involved face the due consequences of their actions. In light of reaching the plea deals, the DA's Office also extended its sympathies to the bereaved family and friends of the victim.
The fourth defendant implicated in the case, Marshonna Whittle, still awaits trial for charges encompassing residential burglary and identity theft, with no set court date yet. Sanctioning for Onteveros and Wu is scheduled for June 26, while Woodruff's sentencing is slated for July 2, with all procedures set to commence at the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.
