San Francisco, CA – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that her office secured a conviction of Lee Farley (36), of San Francisco, after a trial by jury for the murder of four men in a drive-by shooting in Hayes Valley. Mr. Farley was convicted of four counts of first-degree willful, deliberate, premeditated murder (PC 187(a)), with allegations that he personally discharged a firearm at an occupied motor vehicle and that he unlawfully possessed a firearm as a felon were found true. He was also convicted of discharging a firearm at an occupied motor vehicle (PC 246), and possession of a firearm by a felon (PC 29800). In addition, the jury found true the special circumstances that the murders were committed as a drive-by shooting a (PC 190.2(a)(21)) committed by an active participant in a criminal street gang for the benefit of a criminal street gang (PC 190.2(a)(22)). They also found true the multiple murder allegation (PC 190.2(a)(3)) that Mr. Farley committed the crimes by personally discharging a firearm causing the deaths of four young men.
“I would like to thank the jury for their service in this trial,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I would also like to thank the mothers and families of the murdered men for their patience, faith and trust in my office to get justice for their families. Our strong legal team fought hard, understanding that while nothing we do can bring back their loved ones, that hopefully this verdict brings them some comfort. I committed to them when I assumed office that we would ensure that this case went to trial as they had waited far too long. Although nearly ten years have passed since the brutal killings that shook our community to the core, our commitment and resolve to see justice done never wavered.”
According to testimony and other evidence presented at trial, at 10:01 PM on January 9, 2015, four men were ambushed from behind and shot to death with at least 18 bullets while stopped in a motor vehicle on Laguna Street just south of Page Street. Despite police arriving and rendering first aid within two minutes of the shooting, all four men died at the scene.
The case against Mr. Farley was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Nathan Quigley, Natalie Fuchs and Heather Trevisan with assistance from District Attorney Investigators Eugene Guerrero, Douglass Keeley, Omega Crum, paralegals Jessica Diamond, Julio Florez Guzman, Tony Yu and IT support from Leland Chan, Noaeh Pinaire, Ada Yu, and Morris Moore. Victim Advocates Ruben Marquez, Maria Reynoso, Priscilla Portillo, Willie Gray, Cusandra Howard, and Bethany Brown worked closely with the four grieving families for nearly a decade throughout the pendency of this case. Prosecutors were able to develop a strong case against Mr. Farley based on the exhaustive investigation by the San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Unit in conjunction with the Community Violence Reduction Team. The San Francisco Police solved this case following a nearly two-year investigation.
“This trial was a stark reminder of how gun violence harms whole communities and those scars last forever,” said Assistant District Attorney Nathan Quigley. “This case demonstrates the sustained commitment of the officers of the San Francisco Police Department and prosecutors in our office to seek justice for victims of violence no matter who they are, what they have done in the past or how long it takes. We do so because in order to live in a world where we can demand and expect justice for any one of us, we must be willing to fight for justice for all of us.”
Mr. Farley is currently in custody pending sentencing. A sentencing date will be scheduled after a bench trial on priors on December 16, 2024.
Court Number: 23000776
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