OROVILLE — The final of three defendants in a 2020 double homicide case that took place near Forbestown entered a plea of no contest in court Thursday.
Kyle Mathew Smith, 27, was accused of two counts of second-degree murder after two brothers, Jerry and Randy Bonds were killed Oct. 20, 2020. According to a press release issued Thursday by Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, the brothers had come from Florida to buy cannabis.
“The investigation into the murder of the Bonds brothers began a day after the killing when family members from Florida called the Butte County Sheriff’s Office to report them missing,” Ramsey said in his press release. “An investigation showed the brothers had flown into a Los Angeles airport on Oct. 19, 2020, rented an Audi, and then drove to Oroville and checked into a local motel, then went missing.”
Smith was accused alongside 25-year-old Austin Hogan and 25-year-old Michael Griff. The day after the alleged murder occurred, the Reno Police Department got a call from someone claiming he had just spoken with three men who said they killed two black men near Oroville. This report was provided to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office who determined that two of the men lived in Oroville.
Both Smith and Griff were arrested after a stakeout at Griff’s home and property belonging to the Bonds brothers was allegedly found in the trunk of a vehicle driven by Griff and Smith upon the arrest.
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“The investigation also revealed that on the day after the murders, Smith drove the Bonds brothers’ Audi to a Reno casino and left it in the casino parking lot,” the release said. “Smith, Griff, and Hogan then traveled in another vehicle they brought and visited a male friend in an attempt to set up an alibi. But instead of providing the three with an alibi, their friend reported them to the Reno police. The man later testified at a preliminary hearing for Griff.”
Ramsey said in his release that law enforcement believed Griff and Hogan to be the shooters, adding that Smith helped in conspiring the murders.
Hogan pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, though his sentencing was postponed based on his potential testimony against Smith.
Smith is scheduled for sentencing on June 26, 2024 and is looking at 30 years to life in prison.
“Today’s plea ensures all those responsible for the murders of Jerry and Randy Bonds will receive justice,” Ramsey said. “This case has been a sobering reminder of the violence that can arise from our local illegal marijuana industry. We hope the resolution of this case provides some measure of peace and closure to the Bonds family.”
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