Carlos Reales Dominguez was back in a Woodland courtroom on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, as lawyers and the judge in his case worked through timelines for a mid May retrial in the 2023 Davis stabbing attacks that left two men dead and a woman seriously injured. The quick hearing focused on calendars, expert witnesses and exhibits both sides expect to put in front of a new jury. With jury selection now set for mid May, local officials say the retrial is likely to crowd out much else on Yolo County court schedules for weeks.
Back in Court: Scheduling and Pleas
Dominguez, who has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, appeared in person and remains held without bail, according to The Sacramento Bee. Doctors have previously testified that he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, a key pillar of the defense’s argument about his mental state at the time of the attacks.
Charges and the Earlier Trial
The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office says Dominguez faces multiple counts, including murder and attempted murder, stemming from the April to May 2023 attacks that killed David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm and seriously injured Kimberlee Guillory, according to the county’s filing. CBS Sacramento reported that the first trial last year ended in a mistrial after jurors could not reach unanimous verdicts on some counts.
Prosecution’s Cannabis Argument
Prosecutors told the court they plan to call mental health and substance use experts to testify about how prolonged, heavy cannabis use can contribute to psychosis, a theory they first outlined in a November hearing, according to the Davis Vanguard. It marks a noticeable shift in strategy after the earlier trial leaned heavily on Dominguez’s hospital records and his own testimony about hallucinations. Defense attorneys have pushed back, saying medical records and multiple psychiatric evaluations support a longstanding schizophrenia diagnosis rather than a drug induced episode.
What Happens Next
According to The Sacramento Bee, jury selection is scheduled to begin May 18. Local scheduling notes and reporting in The Aggie indicate that pretrial motions are set for the first week of May and that Judge Samuel T. McAdam discussed May 21 as the date to start picking jurors. Court calendars currently estimate the trial will last roughly 10 to 12 weeks, though judges can stretch or shorten that window as the case unfolds.
Victims and Community Toll
The attacks took place over several days in late April and early May 2023. The City of Davis and local coverage remember David Breaux, widely known as the “Compassion Guy,” and UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm as the two people killed, while Kimberlee Guillory survived with serious injuries. Families, friends and civic leaders have continued to call for transparency from the courts and have organized memorials in the months since the killings, as reported by the City of Davis.
Sanity Hearings and Legal Stakes
The case has wound through multiple competency and sanity proceedings. A judge previously ordered Dominguez temporarily committed to a state hospital for restoration of competency, according to court filings. That hospitalization, along with repeated psychiatric evaluations, now sits at the center of the question of whether jurors will be allowed to consider an insanity defense and how much weight experts may give to substance use in explaining his condition, per Courthouse News Service. Prosecutors have already decided not to seek the death penalty, so much of the retrial is expected to hinge on expert testimony and whether jurors buy into the prosecution’s newer theory.
What to Watch as the Retrial Opens
In the run up to jury selection, expect a flurry of filings as both sides exchange expert witness lists and renew any pretrial fights over the cannabis psychosis theory. If the current schedule holds, the 10 to 12 week trial could stretch well into the summer. Local outlets and the court are likely to keep updating calendars and posting new documents as they land; The Aggie has reported on the latest timetable for the case.
