|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Berkeley man who killed 17-year-old Danville resident Rylan Fuchs was sentenced today to life in prison without parole.
Walter Bell, 22, also received an additional 25 years to life for using a gun in the killing.
Bell was found guilty of shooting the San Ramon Valley High senior outside the Fuchs’ home during a marijuana deal in January 2009.
It took a Martinez jury just 40 minutes last month to convict Bell in the killing.
The night of the shooting, Fuchs had agreed to meet his classmate, Aaron Marks, to sell 4 ounces of marijuana. Bell testified that while he was smoking marijuana near Fuchs’ home that night, he had no part in the shooting or robbery and believed Marks was the shooter. Marks was killed in Oakland last last year.
“In Mr. Bell’s own words, ‘the deal went bad,'” prosecutor Jill Henderson told the jury as she wrapped up her case on May 10.
Fuchs died Jan. 20, 2009, on the front porch of his parents’ home on El Capitan Drive after being shot in the neck.
Henderson said even if Bell didn’t fire the fatal shot, he’s still responsible as one of a group of eight young men who hid in bushes, behind a car and near a light pole, waiting to ambush Fuchs.
In her opening statement, Henderson said Bell confessed to at least two people — his girlfriend and another friend — that he shot Fuchs. Henderson said Bell told his friend that he meant to shoot the gun to scare Fuchs, not to kill him. Deputy Public Defender Kirk Anthanasiou said both sources were pressured into inaccurate statements by police.
Using a gun in a crime is known as a gun enhancement and can result in additional time added to a sentence in specific instances. Bell also could have received additional time for committing the killing during a robbery.
Following the conviction, jury foreman Steve Headen told reporters that all jury members were on the same page once deliberations began.
“It was pretty much cut and dry. After hearing all the testimony and evidence, there was nothing that left a question,” he said, adding that there were many inconsistencies with Bell’s testimony.
Appeal over redevelopment project at old Chevron HQ coming to San Ramon councilApril 6, 2026 10:32 pm
Interesting that original stories had Bell from OAKLAND but now Berserkley. Hope the boys in prison have fun with this POS. More of these stories to come with the city council voting to allow low low low low stack and pack housing in our fair town. People like Bell (who’s my daddy) get off on preying on others.
Adios!
Well, no racism there, eh? </sarcasm>
Where were you folks when the white NRA member from Alamo shot the Alamo jeweler? Dead silence, as I recall.
If Francis Di Cari is a real person, I assume that he has an enemy who used his name for the above post. Nobody would sigh such a disgusting message with his actual name, right?
Anyways, back to the real issue. This is sad & neighbors of the Fuch’s family send our support during this difficult time. I drive by the Fuch’s house everyday & think about how much this family has had to endure. Stay strong.
Francis a buddy of mine– great guy. Hey Dirk— shut up.
Steve–you are the bigot. Francis has EvErY right to post his opinions. What a liberal thought controlling piece of Pac work u r…YOU are the arrogant one……I enjoy other views rather than the innocuous garbage from the thought police like you.
Yeah, Steve — if ol’ Francis wants to self-identify as a rancid side-of-bacon, I consider it an opportunity for sane folks to steer clear of his fetid wallow. After all, many people who harbor such despicable sentiments choose to hide behind their bed sheets.
So brav-O, ya Porker!
Racism is so 1950’s. Move it along people. Let’s send our good thoughts to this family & stay on topic. Keep your dirty ugly ideas to yourself, there is enough pain in this world without some small town racism festering.
Sorry folks but I agree with Francis. The murderer was attending our schools (can only I aging his behavior) on a transfer by the courts. There are garbage people……face the facts. He and his buddies, one dead in another shooting (ho hum-no loss) were here to cause havoc. Enjoy prison, tough guy—-good riddance.
Hey Steve—last I checked, people don’t have to agree with you. So shut up.
My dear Nancy, here’s an answer you will understand: oink.
cardinal..small C, small mind. Truth hurts, eh?
It is a tragedy that a 17 year old was killed. To place the entire blame on “thugs” from other areas is a bit short sighted as the other person in this drug deal was the 17 year old who climbed out his bedroom window with the intent to participate in a drug deal. To point the blame on a single person is wrong, it is more in line with reality to state we have a problem with drugs that has permeated all of our society.