Two of three men accused of slaying a Wildomar pastor's son outside a Temecula bar do not have DNA on the knife used in the murder, court records showed this week.
During jury selection on Tuesday for , information came to the attention of the court from the state Department of Justice concerning DNA evidence.
The defendants face 60 years in prison if convicted of murder, attempted murder and weapons allegations in the Dec. 26, 2008, slaying of 22-year-old Ryan Joshua Armstrong and the stabbing of his friend, Joel Ross.
According to court records, a corrected report from the DOJ informed the court that Basler and Black were not DNA donors on the knife thought to be the murder weapon.
That is to say, their DNA was not on the murder weapon; all parties stipulated to that fact on the record.
Following that matter, jury selection continued and a panel and three alternates were selected in the afternoon; they were not sworn in however.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Angel Bermudez ordered everyone back to court Wednesday, Oct. 3.
While awaiting trial -- and while sitting in jail -- Fung picked up a misdemeanor battery charge and Basler picked up two felony assault charges, according to court papers.
Black was charged with possession of a hand-made weapon in jail, according to court records.
According to testimony during the preliminary hearing, the murder was committed after Basler, Black and Fung -- all of San Diego -- went to ET Sports Lounge in Temecula on the same night Armstrong, Ross and about 10 other friends went there to play pool.
To read more about the case, please click here.
