DA continues to investigate Pinyon Pines triple murder

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said his office could soon decide whether to file charges in the Pinyon Pines triple murder case after charges were dismissed last October under former district attorney Paul Zellerbach.

Spokesman John Hall said, “We are continuing to investigate this triple murder as though it was a new case and we expect to make a decision very soon about how we will move forward.”

He also said Hestrin has had prosecutors and investigators taking a fresh look at all the evidence in this crime for several months.

Last October, the District Attorney’s Office, under Paul Zellerbach, dismissed the charges against Robert Pape and Christin Smith, who had been charged with the 2006 murder of 53-year-old Vicki Friedli, her boyfriend Jon Hayward, 55, and her 18-year-old daughter Becky Friedli at their Alpine Drive home.

The District Attorney’s Office hasn’t elaborated on any new possible charges, but News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will post updates as soon as more information is released.