The defense attorney for a Campo man charged with killing his two passengers in a 2017 drunk driving crash asked jurors Oct. 17 to not convict him of murder.
The trial opened for Ryan Gary Renz, 26, who is charged in the Jan. 25, 2017, deaths of his cousin, Johnny Ray Meyer, Jr., 23, and friend Dillon Wiltfong, 26, both of Campo.
Renz’s attorney, Audrey Kyu, told the nine man, three woman jury that “Ryan will ask to hold him accountable” for some charges, but not murder.
Renz is also charged with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and his lawyer appeared to concede he was guilty of that along with reckless driving.
Kyu said jurors would have to conclude that Renz had “malice aforethought” to convict him of murder. She said he didn’t have that in his mind.
Deputy District Attorney Laura Evans told jurors in her opening statement that Renz was driving on Buckman Springs Road and came to a curve at 90 mph. He struck an oak tree, creating “a very violent scene,” she said, before it rolled over and over.
Evans said Renz knew it was dangerous to drink and drive “but he just didn’t care.” His driver’s license was suspended from a previous DUI, and Evans said Renz was aware he could be charged with murder if someone died while he was driving while drunk.
“The defendant chose to drink. The defendant chose to drive,” said Evans. “Both died… because of his choice to drink and drive.”
She said he was on probation for DUI when this crash occurred and Renz admitted to being the driver.
The trial before El Cajon Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser will last several weeks. There are also four alternate jurors in case a juror is ill or cannot finish the trial.
The first witness was Robyn Pearson, the girlfriend of Wiltfong. She said she was with her boyfriend, Meyer, and Renz that day.
Renz had “too many (drinks) to count,” said Pearson, of Boulevard.
Renz was driving Wiltfong’s Volkswagen Jetta as both attorneys said he “drew the short straw” when they were talking about who would drive everybody home.
“They all decided that Ryan was the best one to drive,” said Kyu. “Everyone knows drinking and driving is dangerous.”
Jason Morgan, an equipment operator, said he was driving to work around 6:45 p.m. on Buckman Springs Road when he saw the single-car crash.
“A car came flying around the corner. It hit an oak tree,” said Morgan. “It rolled over a couple of times,” before it ended up on its roof.
Morgan said he heard the car’s tires screeching and estimated “he was probably doing 100 mph.”
“I remember the back of the car was on fire,” said Morgan. “One guy was lying in the road.”
Morgan pulled over and called 911. His call was played for jurors who were also given a transcript.
Dexter Satterwhite, of Alpine, testified he remembered Renz, Wolfgang, and Meyer coming over to his house and carrying beer with them the day of the crash.
Photos of the wreckage were shown to jurors. The pictures and testimony was difficult for the families of the victims, some of whom wept.
The cause of death for both victims was multiple blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Renz has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail on $3 million bail. His attorney did not say whether he will testify.