After a nearly six-hour-long preliminary hearing on Friday, San Diego County Superior Court Judge David Rubin ruled that a man will stand trial in the murder of a Rancho Penasquitos woman.
Connie Dadkhah was found dead inside her condo on June 15, the morning after several neighbors called police to report a man had broken into her home. NBC 7 Investigates has been looking into the police response the night before. On the evening of June 14, at least six people called 911 at least 10 times reporting a violent break-in. Officers did not arrive at Connie's unit until nearly two hours after the first phone call. Neighbors said despite shining flashlights at the smashed sliding glass door, officers left without forcing entry.
In court Friday, a neighbor testified she watched Connie and the suspect, Parrish Chambers Jr., fighting outside her apartment on the afternoon of June 14.
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The neighbor who lives below Connie’s unit testified she heard footsteps and running water from a sink after police left that evening.
Four officers who responded the next morning also testified. They described a grisly scene – Connie’s body on the couch, covered in a blanket, with blood all over the couch, floor, walls and in the bathroom. They also testified that Connie’s body had bruises on her neck, chest, arms and legs. Her nose was bleeding and she had a black eye.
And for the first time, the public is learning the cause of death. The deputy medical examiner testified it was likely a brain bleed, and that Connie had multiple blunt force injuries to the head. One of the officers said a medic on the scene told him Connie likely died the night before.
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A detective who interviewed Chambers said he told police that when he came over the night before, Connie’s balcony sliding glass door had already been shattered. Chambers also claimed the two had an intimate night and fell asleep on the couch, but that he awoke to find Connie’s body cold and rigid.
Again, multiple neighbors told police they heard and saw Chambers smash Connie’s balcony door and break into her unit. One of those neighbors, who also called 911, said what he heard and saw that night was so alarming he had to do something.
“In my mind, this was too much to ignore,” said Kevin McPhee on the witness stand, when prosecuting attorney Trisha Amador asked why he called the police. “Seeing this made me think it had to stop.”
In addition to the murder charge, the prosecutor said she intends to add on two battery charges for previous incidents between Connie and Chambers in April. As we’ve reported in the past, two months before Connie was killed, police came out and took photos of apparent injuries around her neck and arm after a violent exchange with Chambers. At the time though, it doesn’t appear that police filed a report. Prosecutors also want to add a burglary charge associated with the June 14 incident. Chambers is due back in court on Sept. 1.
