Villa bound over for arraignment in murder, assault and battery cases
May 5—Vincent Michael Villa, accused of killing Kenneth Holland last August, was bound over for formal arraignment on a first-degree murder charge after a day-long preliminary hearing in Woodward County District Court on Friday.
Villa was also bound over in a second case, as he is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, also from last August.
Associate District Judge Erin Kirksey presided over the hearing and ordered Villa to appear before District Judge Justin Eilers at 1:30 p.m. on May 11.
Villa is accused of beating and stabbing Holland sometime between 5:50 a.m. and 6:20 a.m. on Aug. 15, 2022, then setting fire to the house they were in on 1616 13th St. to cover up the crime.
District Attorney Chris Boring called a number of witnesses throughout the day.
One witness who testified by videoconference, Rosella Blayze Whitson, said she and two other witnesses, Sidney Adams and Alexia Taylor, left Villa and Holland alone in the house earlier that morning and that Villa was upset they was leaving.
Adams and Taylor were also supposed to testify at the hearing, but neither appeared and Kirksey authorized bench warrants for their arrest with a bond of $15,000.
Agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation testified throughout the afternoon. Brian Exinra, a crime scene, investigator, said he saw trauma on the victim and a bat and knife was found near the body.
Matthew Wallace, a crime scene agent, said through geofencing and search warrants, it was determined that Holland's phone was at that location as late as 5:49 a.m.
Darren Atha, who led the investigation, read from the medical examiner's report, which noted Holland suffered multiple injuries from blunt force and sharp objects and the burns and the fire came after his death.
Atha also said he interviewed a woman named Judy Bass who said she was on the phone with Holland as late as 5:50 a.m.
Boring, in his closing, said malice aforethought was part of the crime
"There was no provocation by Mr. Holland," Boring said."There was no reason for him to be killed, that is malice aforethought."
In the assault and battery case, Daniel Villa Jr. actually testified by videoconference that someone else, not his brother Vincent, hit him over the head with a tire iron on Aug 14. He would not, however, say who did hit him.
Keeton Longstreth, a cousin of the Villa's, testified that he jumped in between the brothers and took the tire iron away from Vincent Villa. He and Vincent Villa then took Daniel Villa to the hospital.
Longstreth said he did not actually see Vincent Villa hit his brother.
OSBI agents said some conversations between Taylor, Adams and Daniel Villa obtained by search warrant from Facebook messenger indicated Vincent Villa did assault his brother.
