Trial of two men accused of Pinyon Pines triple murder to start Monday

Opening statements in the trial of two men accused of a Pinyon Pines triple murder are set to begin Monday morning.

Robert Pape and Cristin Smith are charged with three counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders, in the 2006 deaths of 18-year-old Becky Friedli, her mother Vicki and Vicki’s boyfriend, Jon Hayward.

Firefighters found Becky Friedli’s body on fire in a wheelbarrow near the home. After crews put out the house fire, firefighters found the bodies of Vicki Friedli and Hayward inside the home in the 68000 block of Alpine Drive.

Pape and Smith were originally charged in 2014, but the case was shelved until June 2016, when they were charged again after new evidence surfaced.

If convicted, both men face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

KESQ and CBS Local 2 will be at Monday’s opening statements in Riverside. Stay tuned both on-air and online for the latest updates on the trial.