Top court cases of 2023 in Kern County bakersfieldnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bakersfieldnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
It took a Kern County jury less than 30 minutes to find Jose William Lara guilty in the death of Desiree Thompson. Lara buried Thompson's body in the backyard of a Cal City house he was renting.
According to courtroom observers, the jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning a verdict of guilty in the trial of Jose William Lara.
Sheri Smith took the stand Tuesday testifying in the trial of Jose William Lara, the man charged with killing Smith's daughter Desiree Thompson in 2012.