CASE OF INTEREST

 

Date: April 4, 2006

Case: People vs. Terry Buford, Titenesha Russell and Dwayne Curry

Contact: Keith Hill, Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit
             Telephone: (916) 874-7890


District Attorney Jan Scully announced today that Terry Buford, Titenesha Russell and Dwayne Curry were found guilty of attempted murder of a fetus, assault with a deadly weapon terminating a pregnancy, attempted robbery and kidnap for purposes of robbery, following a month long jury trial. In addition, Titenesha Russell and Dwayne Curry were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. All defendants now face potential sentences of life in state prison.

The victim in this case was a young woman who was 7 ½ months pregnant with the child being of the defendant, Terry Buford. Buford did not want the victim to carry the baby to term, and set about to terminate her pregnancy and the child’s life. The defendants took the victim to a park under the false pretense that she was being taken to the movies. At the park she was beaten with a baseball bat, a metal flashlight, a garbage can and hands and fists, by Russell and Curry. The victim suffered orbital fractures, auricular hematomas and her baby went into fetal distress. As the victim lay unconscious in the park, she was stripped of her clothing while the defendants searched her for money. When only $20 was found, the victim was kidnapped in an attempt to take an additional $700 the defendant’s believed was in her home. When this attempted robbery was interrupted by the victim’s brother, the defendants fled and dumped the victim on the side of the road near Consumnes River College. The victim was found and taken to the hospital where she underwent an emergency Cesarian Section. Remarkably, the baby was resuscitated by doctors and survived the assault.

Deputy District Attorney Keith Hill stated, “These defendant’s tried to take this baby’s life before he ever even had a chance to live. They deserve to receive the maximum possible punishment under the law for their cold and calculated actions”.

The Honorable Cheryl Chun Meegan will sentence the Defendants on May 4th, 2006.