Murder charges dropped against suspect in Mountain View dishonorable landlord case – NBC 7 San Diego

Murder charges have been dropped against a couple in connection with the death of a woman who fell and suffered fatal injuries while trying to hold on to the hood of a moving truck in the Mountain View neighborhood.

At the end of a two-day preliminary hearing, San Diego Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein on Friday dismissed those charges against 27-year-old Cory Skellion and 25-year-old Brooklyn Broadway, who were charged last November in connection with the death of 32-year-old Gel Wuerth.

All charges against Skellion were dropped; Broadway still faces charges of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run. She faces up to six years in prison.

A married couple is on trial for murder. The reason: the death of the landlord in the Mountain View neighborhood. Shandel Menezes from NBC 7 reports what we learned in court on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office said in a statement: “We will continue to seek justice for the victim as the case progresses.”

“Ever since this all started, it's been like a movie,” said a relieved and happy Skellion three days after the murder charge against him was dropped. “I was pretty stunned.”

San Diego police said Skellion and Broadway had previously rented a home from Wuerth, who was found on the street shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 10. The victim was taken to a hospital, where Wuerth died the following day.

While the initial call to police reported that a pedestrian had been struck by a car, police said that upon further investigation, it was determined that the victim was involved in a “confrontation” with Skellion and Broadway near Jamul Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard shortly before Wuerth sustained her fatal injuries.

According to SDPD Lt. Jud Campbell, the victim was initially struck by a van that Skellion was driving. The victim then clung to the hood, the van drove away with Wuerth on the roof, and the victim was eventually thrown from the van, the lieutenant said.

A couple in their 20s are accused of causing the death of their former landlord in Mountain View. During an argument, they drove away after some sort of confrontation with the woman hanging from the hood of their car, according to investigators. The husband, Cory Skellion, was scheduled to appear in court today for his alleged role behind the wheel, but that has been postponed. NBC 7 reporter Jackie Crea has more to report.

Skellion told NBC7 that Wuerth confronted her and climbed onto the hood of the borrowed minivan they were driving.

“We wanted to stay safe,” Skellion said Monday. “We never wanted to get in trouble. We never wanted to be confronted. We just packed up the rest of our things. We moved out.”

Defense attorneys for both defendants say Skellion eventually pulled over and parked the van. Cellphone video taken by the couple shows Wuerth did not get off the hood, even though the van was stopped for 92 seconds. In the video, Wuerth yells for someone to call 911, but she never attempted to get out of the vehicle.

“Thank God for that video,” said Ted Burgess, one of Skellion's attorneys, who believes the video was instrumental in getting the murder charge dropped. Attorney Alicia Freeze said the couple could be heard on the video saying things that showed they didn't want to hurt anyone or get into trouble.

At one point, Skellion and Broadway switched places, and while Broadway was driving, Wuerth fell off the hood as Broadway stopped at a traffic light, attorneys said.

Skellion and Broadway were arrested on November 15.

At their arraignment last year, defense attorneys said Skellion and Broadway were a newlywed couple from the South who were relatively new to San Diego.

Freeze, who also represents Skellion, said her client was working at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at the time. Broadway's attorney Brandon Naidu said she was an active member of the Marines stationed in San Diego.

Broadway returns to court on August 30 for arraignment. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison. If convicted of murder, she could have faced life behind bars.