Stephen Deflaun was sane when he killed 2 people at SLO County beach, judge rules

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A man convicted of killing two people at Morro Strand Beach 22 years ago was deemed legally sane by a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge on Friday.

A jury convicted Stephen Deflaun, 63, of the first-degree murders of Stephen Wells, 37, and Wells’ 11-year-old nephew on April 19. He was also convicted of assault on with a firearm on a peace officer, in this case a California State Parks Officer.

Deflaun admits he shot and killed Wells and Rios Jr. after a confrontation over a campsite on July 8, 2001, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the crime.

Because of this, there was a second trial after the conviction — known as the “sanity phase” — where the judge heard testimony from multiple doctors about their opinions on Deflaun’s state of mind at the time of the crime.

San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Jacquelyn Duffy on Friday said there was no dispute whether Deflaun had mental illness, but the issue was whether Deflaun could understand the nature of his actions or right from wrong when he committed the shootings.

“Based on the totality of evidence, I do not find the defense has proven Deflaun is legally insane,” Duffy said.

Deflaun, who was incompetent to stand trial until April 2022, has testified he has been tortured by voices in his head known as “the program,” which tell him everyone in the world is against him and torments him for entertainment. Deflaun testified that on the day of the shooting, the voices told him Wells was an assassin sent to kill him.

Deflaun will be sentenced according to California sentencing laws.

He faces 128 years to life in prison — 50 years to life for each murder with a firearm and 28 for assaulting a peace officer with a firearm. Because the jury also found Deflaun committed a multiple murder, he is eligible for life without parole.

He is scheduled to be sentenced June 2.

“Our hearts go out to the Wells and Rios families for their unimaginable loss and superhuman patience in waiting for a final resolution of this case,” San Luis Obispo County Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth said in a news release. “This incident highlights the exceptional efforts of California State Parks Ranger Chuck Jackson in his response and apprehension of Deflaun under extreme circumstances. Finally, our community is grateful for the jury’s focused attention over three weeks of trial. There is no doubt that the graphic nature of the evidence was difficult to observe and will not soon be forgotten.”

Defense says mental illness is to blame for killings. ‘It’s tragic’

During closing arguments Friday, defense attorney Raymond Allen argued the voices in Deflaun’s head are what drove him to kill Wells and Rios Jr.

“It’s tragic — it’s absolutely tragic,” Allen said. “He’s compelled to do it, but his humanity doesn’t want to.”

He questioned the prosecution’s understanding of Deflaun’s mental illness, saying that Deflaun was acting on external agents.

Allen said Deflaun should go to a hospital since he was driven by the voices, and had a clash of humanity with the program when making the decision.

“Whether he goes to a prison or hospital, he’s going to be alive,” Allen said, “and that’s not nothing.”

The prosecution questioned the credibility of the doctors who testified, claiming the defense’s witnesses came to the conclusion Deflaun did not know right from wrong, despite knowing the gun when aimed at a human would harm them.

“It just feels like both of these doctors were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole,” San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Ben Blumenthal said.

The prosecution further argued there was no evidence Deflaun was “in the throws” of a mental or psychotic break at the time of the shooting.

“He has had 22 years to confabulate in his head,” Blumenthal said.

The judge ultimately agreed with the prosecution and ruled Deflaun could tell right from wrong, thus was legally responsible for his actions.