A tense confrontation on Napa's Riverside Drive, a terrified scream, then a rapid burst of gunfire. That is how witnesses yesterday described the moments leading up to a double killing that left two young women dead along the riverfront. Prosecutors identified the victims as 19‑year‑old Aileen Villasenor of Rohnert Park and 17‑year‑old Sasha Mufich of Napa, who were shot on April 13, 2024. The testimony came during a preliminary hearing scheduled to begin April 20 and expected to stretch over several days.
Witnesses Describe The Moments Before The Shots
Several witnesses told the court they were parked nearby when a fight broke out, followed by a scream and roughly five gunshots, according to The Press Democrat. Prosecutors said they played cellphone footage that they contend shows the suspects walking up to Villasenor and Mufich shortly before the shooting, and a masked person chasing the teens. Two witnesses testified that they watched the confrontation unfold from inside a Ford Explorer as the situation quickly escalated, the outlet reported.
Scene And Early Investigation
Napa police said in an April 18, 2024 release that officers arrived in the 400 block of Riverside Drive, between Laurel and Oak Streets, and found two female victims near the roadway. One was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other died later at a hospital. Investigators have said that surveillance video and other digital evidence helped them identify suspects and make arrests in the days following the shooting, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Who Is Charged And Previous Pleas
Authorities ultimately arrested three people in connection with the killings: John Nicholson Jr. of Vallejo and two Santa Rosa women, Jessica Whitten and Judith Adolph. Prosecutors have charged Nicholson and Whitten with murder, alleging that Whitten drove the car used to leave the scene. Adolph later pleaded no contest in March 2025 to assault counts involving a semiautomatic rifle and to being an accessory, and is awaiting sentencing, The Press Democrat reported.
What Is At Stake In Court
The April 20 preliminary hearing will decide whether prosecutors have shown enough evidence to hold Nicholson and Whitten for trial, according to the Napa County District Attorney's newsletter. Prosecutors have cited California's Penal Code 187, which defines murder, and Penal Code 32, which covers being an accessory after the fact, both of which carry significant penalties if proven. The hearing is set for Department 1 at the Napa Superior Court in downtown Napa.
Community Reaction And What Comes Next
Neighbors and other locals have described the normally quiet stretch along the river as stunned by the violence, and officials continue to ask anyone with video or information to contact detectives. The multi‑day hearing is expected to feature additional witness testimony along with the cellphone footage prosecutors say they possess. If the judge decides to hold the defendants to answer, the case will move onto the trial calendar, keeping Napa's attention fixed on what happened on Riverside Drive that night.
