Stephen Arthur Deflaun sentenced to 50 years without parole in 2001 double homicide
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Jacquelyn H. Duffy sentenced Stephen Arthur Deflaun to 50 years to life without the possibility of parole in the shooting deaths of two people and an assault of a park ranger in July of 2001.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow detailed that Deflaun was sentenced to 50 years to life without the opportunity for parole plus 16 years for the first-degree murders of 37-year-old Stephen Donahue Wells and 11-year-old Jerry Rios Jr. and an assault with a firearm charge against California State Park Ranger Charles Jackson.
"At long last, our community has delivered Justice for Stephen; Justice for Jerry; and Justice for Ranger Jackson," said District Attorney Dan Dow. "We are grateful to the jury, all those who investigated and testified, and our prosecution team who performed with excellence."
A San Luis Obispo County jury found Deflaun guilty of two counts of murder in the first degree with the use of a firearm and one count of assault of a peace officer with a firearm on Apr. 19 of this year.
On Apr. 28, 2023, Judge Duffy found that Deflaun was legally sane when he shot his two victims and assaulted Ranger Jackson.
The crimes all occurred late afternoon of Jul. 8, 2001 at Morro Bay State Park Campground.
Stephen Wells was driving a large recreational vehicle with his wife and four children while traveling on a multi-state vacation when the group found Deflaun parked in a van in a large campsite that could fit the family's RV in the almost full campsite detail a press release from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys office.
Two of the boys from the RV, Jerry Rios Jr. and another 11-year-old boy identified as B.W. in court documents, asked Deflaun is he intended to stay the night at the campsite. Deflaun threatened to physically assault both boys leading to a verbal argument between Deflaun and Wells.
Wells and his family left in their RV and drove to the park entrance kiosk where they requested interventions from a park ranger.
Minutes after their arrival at the kiosk, Deflaun arrived on foot at the kiosk and shot Wells three time and Jerry Rios Jr. once.
Defalun then returned seconds later and shot each victim while they lay on the ground.
California State Park Ranger Chuck Jackson responded to the scene and Deflaun pointed his weapon at the ranger and Ranger Jackson subdued Deflaun by shooting him with his shotgun.
San Luis Obispo District Attorney's office detail that in July of 2001, Deflaun was declared incompetent to stand trial. Twenty years later, Deflaun was found to have been restored to competence and the criminal prosecution was reinstated.
“We hope this life sentence provides some level of closure for the Wells and Rios families after two decades of uncertainty,” said Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth. “Our hearts are with them as they move forward from this terrible incident.”
