Two Menifee men sentenced to life in prison for 2023 murder
Two Menifee men and a Hemet man were sentenced last week to life in prison without the possibility of parole following their convictions for...
Two Menifee men and a Hemet man were sentenced last week to life in prison without the possibility of parole following their convictions for the murder, burglary and robbery of a Winchester man in 2023, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Matthew Patrick Fromer, 53, and Kevin Richard Hirsch, 48, of Menifee and Clifford John Franken, 55, of Hemet were convicted previously of the crimes against 78-year-old Robert Bettencourt. A fourth suspect, 35-year-old Joseph Michael Salvati of Hemet, is still awaiting trial.
According to a trial brief filed by the prosecution, the suspects planned the crime in advance based on prior knowledge they had of valuables stored on the property. They allegedly arrived in different vehicles at Bettencourt’s home in the early morning hours of March 3, 2023. At 4:19 a.m., four shots were fired – by Hirsch, according to prosecutors -- while Franken revved the engine of a dune buggy to cover the noise. At 9:08 a.m., Fromer and Hirsh drove away with property from Bettencourt in the vehicle.
Three days later, a friend of Bettencourt who hadn’t heard from him in days visited the home and observed signs of a struggle. He called police, and responding officers discovered Bettencourt’s body.
