Two people found guilty of murdering photographer in San Francisco's Twin Peaks

A jury has convicted two people of murdering a photographer who was killed during a camera robbery at Twin Peaks in San Francisco.

Photographer Edward French was killed in a camera robbery in 2017 while taking photos of the Salesforce Tower, which was then under construction, at the popular tourist attraction.

The 71-year-old photographer was also working as a location scout and had been taking photos shortly after sunrise when he was attacked.

On Thursday, Fantasy Decuir and her accomplice Lamonte Nims were found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury at the San Francisco Hall of Justice.

“The jury's verdict holds Ms. Decuir and Mr. Mims responsible for the cold-blooded murder of an elder in our community who was doing what he loved on the morning of his murder in 2017,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement.

According to a report in San Francisco Public Safety NewsThe jury's unanimous verdict came after 13 hours of deliberations over four days and marks the end of a seven-year legal saga that has been plagued by delays since its inception.

In June 2023, the jury failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge after becoming “hopelessly deadlocked.”

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, French drove to Twin Peaks in the early morning hours of July 16, 2017, to take photos with his new camera, a Canon 5D Mark III. Video surveillance footage showed Decuir and Mims approaching French and robbing him at gunpoint.

While Mims tried to pull the camera away from French, Decuir shot French through the heart and right lung. As he bled, Mims ripped his bag away and kicked him while he was on the ground, prosecutors said.

Evidence at trial showed that Decuir and Mims had attempted to sell the stolen camera near Seventh and Market Streets, just an hour after the murder, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Just twelve days later, they robbed two tourists of their cameras and credit cards at gunpoint. They were eventually identified and arrested for the Twin Peaks murder.

“It took a long time, but it is the right decision. I am relieved … almost in tears,” says French's partner Brian Higginbotham San Francisco Public Safety News outside the court.

Decuir and Mim are both in custody awaiting sentencing, which will take place on December 6.