Guilty verdict in Condon murder Guilty verdict in Condon murder (April 22, 2005)

First assailant gets life without parole

By Jon Wiener

The jury in the trial of Enrique Chavez convicted him Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder for his role in the deadly beating of Mountain View resident Doris Condon.

The verdict came nearly a year and a half after Chavez, along with David Olayo, broke into Condon's Jardin Avenue home in October 2003 and beat the 77-year-old woman into a coma. Chavez testified during trial that he had purchased "crystal meth" the day before in preparation for what at first appeared to be a burglary-gone-wrong.

Des Telmont, Condon's housemate for more than three decades, found her lying face down in their living room, her face fractured in more than 20 places and her ribs broken. After she died, he was standing in their kitchen swearing revenge on the people - then still at large - that had killed his long-time companion. But Tuesday he sounded more relieved than anything else.

"I wanted to live to see this damn trial happen. I've done it now," the 83-year-old said Tuesday. "I don't know from here what's next. It was like taking half your life away."

Condon's daughter, Carol Brainerd, offered a similar sentiment.

"It should probably offer some sort of relief or satisfaction," said Brainerd, "but for me, it doesn't. It doesn't take away any of the grief or loss. It doesn't give my mother back a day of her life or a day we could have had with her."

Condon was on life support for a month before her children decided the day after Thanksgiving to remove her in accordance with her written wishes.

Brainerd, who found a shirt stained with her mother's blood and remnants of Chavez's DNA, said she never doubted that the jury would convict Chavez. In addition to the DNA evidence, police obtained a taped confession and found two witnesses who saw Chavez and Olayo enter the house. The jury deliberated for less than two hours.

"We knew the prosecution had a really strong case," said public defender Edward Nino. The defense offered a plea that would have given Chavez the ability to get out on parole, but prosectuors rejected it.

"I don't make deal with people who kill grandmas," said deputy district attorney Dan Fehderau.

Added Nino, "The guy's really sorry. He's really remorseful. It's obviously a tragic situation all around."

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 17. Olayo's trial could begin the first week in May, with Jose Sosa facing accessory charges at a later date. @email:E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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