Jury finds Vallejo man, 35, guilty of killing girlfriend in 2016 – The Vacaville Reporter

A Solano County Superior Court jury on Wednesday found a 35-year-old Vallejo man guilty of killing his girlfriend in 2016.

Troy Lamar Austin heard the decision of the 12-member panel in Division 23 at the Vallejo Justice Building that he committed the first-degree murder of Samantha Rhone.

Judge John B. Ellis, who presided over the month-long trial, then scheduled a trial in Austin over a previous strike that, if proven true, would likely affect the defendant's sentencing. The court hearing, in which a judge will decide the outcome, was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday. However, as of press time later in the day, official court records had not yet been posted online.

According to court records, Austin and Rhone had been in a relationship for about five years during which the victim suffered additional episodes of domestic violence, according to Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams, whose office issued a news release late Thursday.

On the night of the murder, May 19, several people in the area of ​​Wallace Avenue in Vallejo heard a woman's cries for help and what sounded like beatings.

Two people looked out the second floor windows and saw defendant attacking Rhone. They saw him “kicking and stomping on her more than 20 times as she lay there, losing and losing consciousness,” according to the prepared statement.

All individuals called 911. Vallejo police officers arrived on scene and the defendant fled.

When officers arrived, Rhone was in and out of consciousness, but was able to tell officers that Austin had hit her. She was taken to the hospital. Emergency surgery was performed, but due to the extent of internal bleeding from blunt force trauma, she died from her injuries.

Austin was found hiding in a neighbor's backyard. He gave a false name when he was arrested. Austin admitted that he “freaked out” and hit Rhone because “she wasn't listening,” the release said.

Prosecutors say Austin has been in custody in Solano County since the murder; However, Thursday's Solano County Jail records show that Austin was arrested again in Alameda County on July 18, 2023, on the murder charge filed on October 1, 2021, and was booked for a preliminary hearing on February 13 of this year .

Jail records also show that Austin was arrested in 2023 on suspicion of four misdemeanors: vandalism, two probation violations and assault on a spouse, ex-spouse or date.

Vallejo criminal defense attorney Dustin Gordon represented Austin, who remains at the Stanton Correctional Facility in Fairfield, where he is awaiting the outcome of the previous walkout trial and a sentencing date.

Assistant District Attorney Ilana Shapiro led the prosecution. Robert Greenberg was the lead investigator for the prosecution.

If you – or someone you know – is a victim of domestic violence and needs an attorney, call (707) 784-6827. Abrams, Solano County's top law enforcement officer and a longtime advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, noted in the statement.

Austin's ruling comes during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.